A Sydney man of Pakistani background fears his life is in danger and is afraid to leave the house after being mistakenly accused of being one of the two gunmen allegedly behind the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
At least 15 people were killed in what has been declared a terrorism incident and dozens of others were injured. The total death toll is 16, with one of the two alleged gunmen having died at the scene after being shot by police
NSW Police say the alleged perpetrators were a father and son aged 50 and 24. One of the gunmen is reported by various media outlets to be Naveed Akram, a man from the city’s south-west. NSW Police has not yet publicly identified the gunmen.
A Pakistani migrant named Naveed Akram, who moved to Australia in 2018, recently turned to social media to clarify a case of mistaken identity. His photos were mistakenly connected to news reports about an attack.
The Pakistani-born Akram, who runs his own business, condemned the attack in a social media video late on Sunday night.
He said “propaganda accounts” were circulating his social media pictures and were associating them with the report of one of the alleged gunmen.
“As per media reports, one of the shooters their name is Naveed Akram. My name is also Naveed Akram, unfortunately our names are the same,” he said in Urdu, in a video posted on X.
“I just want you to know that that person is a different person,” he added.
“I want to make it clear that I am not involved in that incident, nor do I have any connection to the individual responsible,” he stated emphatically.
The man urged people to report any instances they’ve seen of his face being attached to reports of the shooting, saying he was “stressed” and “scared” from the fallout.
“I really need your help because this is a life-threatening event and there can be many issues that can arise from this,” he said.
“I can’t even go outside safely.”
Members of the Pakistani community in Australia have issued their condolences to the victims, including those in the Jewish community.
Raeem Azam Mohammad, the former Pakistani consul-general in Sydney, strongly condemned the “evil” that took place on Sunday and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
“It is a most distressing and horrifying news. May all the deceased rest in peace and our condolences to their friends and family,” he told SBS Urdu.
— This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Urdu.
