Verena, the mother of the shooter Naveed Akram, allegedly involved in the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 and injured others in Sydney on Sunday, expressed doubt that her son could be involved in any violent or extremist behaviour, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. She reportedly described him as a good boy and said anyone would be fortunate to have a son like him.
Verena told police on Monday morning that her son had called her the previous day. He had said that he went swimming and scuba diving and mentioned plans to eat. She mentioned she could not identify her son from a photo taken at the scene of the incident
“He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, ‘Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot,” Naveed’s mother, Verena, said on Monday morning as police encircled the family home at Bonnyrigg.
She claimed that he did not own a firearm, rarely went out, did not socialise with friends, and neither drank nor smoked. She stated that he avoided bad places and generally just went to work, returned home, and exercised, noting that ”anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.”
Verena recalled that although he had numerous friends at Cabramatta High School, he wasn’t especially social and didn’t seem to spend much time online. According to the report, in 2022, Naveed appeared to be tagged in a social media post indicating that he had completed his Koran studies at Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg, western Sydney, although the post has since been deleted.
Naveed and his father, Sajid, another shooter in the case, had informed their family they were on a fishing trip in Jervis Bay over the weekend. Both were unemployed bricklayer and fruiterer, respectively. The CCTV footage by the masthead and Nine News reveals Sajid, followed by Naveed, leaving 103 Brighton Avenue in Campsie around 5:15 PM (local time) on Sunday, shortly after the call.
Sajid was shot and killed by police at the scene, while Naveed was also shot and remains in critical condition in the hospital. Naveed is reportedly showing signs of recovery.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke reportedly stated on Monday that Sajid initially came to Australia on a student visa in 1998, switched to a partner visa in 2001, and subsequently used resident return visas on three separate occasions following trips abroad.
