The mother of the youngest victim in the Bondi terror attack has spoken of her anguish, saying she could not imagine losing her daughter at the beachside location. Speaking at a memorial at Bondi Pavilion, she described the gunman as a 'monster' who shot a little girl running to her father for protection.
Alleged shooter Naveed Akram, who has been in a coma since the attack on Sunday, has regained consciousness. Police are expected to lay charges shortly. It has emerged that Naveed and his father Sajid Akram spent nearly the entire month of November in the Philippines, with Sajid entering as an 'Indian national'.
Indian police have confirmed that Sajid Akram, originally from Hyderabad, had no regular contact with his family since migrating to Australia in the 1990s. Relatives in India were unaware of how he became radicalised. The father and son also travelled to the Philippines last month.
Dramatic dashcam footage has emerged of a married couple, Boris and Sofia Gurman, who lost their lives trying to stop the gunman. The video shows Boris tackling the shooter and wrestling a gun from his hands, with Sofia also involved. Their family expressed pride in their bravery, saying they instinctively tried to help others.
More than 20,000 Australians have booked blood donation appointments in the wake of the attack. Federal and state lawmakers have outlined strengthened gun laws, but former Prime Minister John Howard criticised the government for not doing enough on antisemitism, calling the gun debate a 'distraction'.
