Ballistic Evidence Analyzed in Shooting Investigation

Ballistic experts conducted detailed analysis Monday of evidence from the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the antisemitic terrorism. The prime minister laid flowers at the site as flags flew at half-mast across Australia following the deadliest gun violence in decades.
Forensic analysts examined bullets, cartridge casings, and weapons recovered from the Sunday evening attack on approximately 1,000 Jewish community members at a beachside park. The roughly ten-minute assault generated extensive ballistic evidence that would help reconstruct the sequence of events and potentially connect the weapons to other crimes or trace their origins through unique markings.
Father-son attackers Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, fired numerous rounds before security forces killed the elder and critically wounded the younger. The father’s death brought total fatalities to sixteen. Ballistic analysis would also examine rounds fired by police to document the lawful use of force in stopping the attack. One weapon wrestled away by hero Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, provided additional evidence about the attackers’ armaments.
Forty people remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds requiring treatment, including two police officers whose serious injuries had stabilized. Victims aged ten to 87 bore injuries that ballistic experts would analyze to establish bullet trajectories and shooting positions. This technical evidence would be crucial for prosecuting surviving attacker Naveed Akram and potentially identifying any accomplices.
This incident marks Australia’s worst shooting in nearly three decades, with ballistic evidence providing objective data about the attack’s execution. The detailed technical analysis contrasted with the emotional response to the tragedy, offering scientific documentation of events that would support justice proceedings. As experts worked in laboratories examining microscopic markings and chemical residues, their findings would contribute to understanding how the attack unfolded and ensuring that evidence met the rigorous standards required for criminal prosecution.