Surviving Bondi gunman awakes from coma, charges expected to be laid soon

One of the men accused of carrying out the Bondi terror attack has woken from a coma and is being questioned by police, who are expected to charge him over the massacre in the coming days.

Accused father and son terrorists, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram, targeted the Jewish community as they celebrated the first day of Hanukkah at Australia's most popular beach on Sunday.

Sajid was shot and killed during the nine-minute assault, while Naveed was gravely injured but survived.

READ MORE: Matilda's grieving family break down as they speak at Bondi vigil

Twelve of the 15 victims, aged between 10 to 87, have been identified over the past 48 hours.

While a number of shooting victims were discharged from hospital across the day, 22 people are still receiving treatment, in conditions ranging from critical to stable.

As police question the surviving gunman, they are looking into his ties with terror organisation Islamic State (IS).

READ MORE: The five questions Australia is asking after the Bondi terror attack

Police probe terror links

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon yesterday revealed they found improvised explosive devices and two homemade IS flags in a car registered to Naveed.

The now 24-year-old had flagged his extremist views when he was just 17 and preached on the streets of Bankstown, before he appeared on ASIO's radar in 2019.

The security agency investigated him for six months following the arrest of Isaac el Matari, the self-appointed leader of IS in Australia, who is currently behind bars for planning to carry out a terror attack.

Lanyon said the father and son travelled to the Philippines last month, a known breeding ground for terrorists and extremists.

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed that the pair arrived in the country together last month, on November 1, from Sydney.

They reported their final destination as Davao, a popular tourist site in the country's south. However, it's believed they may have been there for a military-style training program.

The Bureau said the pair left the country 28 days later on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she spoke with her Philippine counterpart about the accused gunmen and they will be assisting in the investigation of the incident.

The Akrams lived in Bonnyrigg but rented out an Airbnb in Campsie in the days before their attack.

Authorities field questions and scrutiny

It came on a day when grief turned into anger as police and the government fielded questions over the immediate response to the massacre.

Lanyon was asked whether officers on the scene failed to shoot at the gunmen when they arrived and whether they backed away.

He said officers were confronted by men with long firearms, while they only had pistols.

NSW Premier Chris Minns, who was also at the press conference, backed the officers and said they did not take a backward step.

"The offenders had long-range rifles, and NSW police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one, and as a result saving many people's lives," he said.

"There are two officers in critical care in NSW hospitals at the moment. They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also faced criticism from former leader John Howard.

Howard spoke at a press conference, saying Albanese and Wong had not done enough to prevent antisemitism.

"[Albanese's] greatest failure is not to provide the moral leadership that a prime minister can in denouncing antisemitism," he said.

"The impression I had was that every time he got onto the subject, he would equate it with discrimination generally."

Remembering the victims

Thousands of Australians made their way back to the scene of the terrorist attack to pay tribute to the 15 people killed in Sunday's shooting.

Politicians, Jewish leaders and locals came together at Bondi Pavilion 48 hours after the horrific event unfolded, to remember the victims and also to mark the third day of Hannukah.

The family of the victims also farewelled their loved ones during the public vigil held among a growing sea of flowers, candles and tributes.

Matilda, the youngest victim of the attack at just 10 years old, received tributes from her grieving family during a menorah lighting ceremony.

"I can't imagine what monster stands on that bridge, and seeing a little girl running for her father, to hide with him, and he just pulled his trigger on her," her mother said.

"It wasn't just a bullet from a stray, it wasn't an accident. It was a bullet that was fired on her."

In addition to Matilda, there was Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, Reuven Morrison, husband and wife Boris and Sofia Gurman, retired police officer Peter Meagher, rabbi Eli Schlanger, rabbi Yaakov Levitan, lifelong volunteer Marika Pogany, great-grandfather Tibor Weitzen, community service worker Edith Brutman, and French engineer Dan Elkayam.

Political figures like Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, Liberal MP Julian Leeser, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson and her newest member Barnaby Joyce and former prime minister John Howard were among those who left tributes at the site.

READ MORE: Answers for Westfield Bondi Junction tragedy delayed 'out of respect'

Among those hospitalised is Ahmed El Ahmed, who is recovering from gunshot wounds after bravely disarming one of the gunmen.

He was visited in hospital by both Albanese and Minns, who both hailed him a "hero".

If you have been impacted by the terror attack in Bondi there is support available.

To contact Lifeline Australia, call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. For people under 25 years old, you can contact Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800. Both of these are available on a 24/7 basis.

If you wish to donate blood, you can find your nearest donor centre here.

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