CNN, December 2025
As authorities investigate the motives behind last week’s deadly Bondi Beach attack, leading criminologists note an unusual characteristic differentiating this mass shooting from others: the suspected gunmen were family members working together. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram are accused of killing 15 people at the iconic Sydney shoreline, a crime that could be “the first father-son combination of perpetrators ever” for such an attack, according to Dr. James Densley, a criminology professor and an expert in mass shootings at Metro State University in Minnesota.
Mass killings are typically the work of lone actors. Less than 2% of mass shootings studied involved two or more perpetrators, according to research from the Rockefeller Institute of Government –– an even rarer act of violence when accounting for family ties. “When relatives commit mass violence together, the risk factors look different,” Densley told CNN, noting contrasts in motivations, power dynamics and logistics from lone attackers.
Relatives who commit crimes together tend to be “less performative,” with trust and proximity replacing online networks that are often used by lone actors. “These attacks grow out of a shared worldview that’s cultivated over time, rather than a single individual seeking notoriety or recognition,” Densley said. “Family members already share time, space, routines, and private conversations. They can test and rehearse ideas without social friction, providing mutual reinforcement.”
