Topics: Australia, Terrorism, Social Media, Facebook, News
A man who shares the same name as one of the alleged Bondi Beach shooters has issued a plea to the public.
Devastating scenes unfolded on the famous Sydney beach, Australia, yesterday (December 14) as people flocked to the beauty spot to celebrate the start of Hanukkah when gunfire broke out.
At the time of writing, 15 people died in the mass shooting, including a 10-year-old girl.
Two Rabbis were also killed in the attack and have been named as Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, says CNN.
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British-born Schlanger has been described as 'a happy personality', while Levitan has been hailed as a 'profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community'.
Australian police said a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son were behind the attack, which also left dozens of people injured.
The shooting has been declared a terrorist incident that targeted the first day of Hanukkah, a Jewish celebration.
Sajid and Naveed Akram have since been named in the media as the suspects.
Police said the two men opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area at around 6:40pm local time.
In light of the suspects being named, another man named Naveed Akram has been forced to speak out and explain that he is not one of the alleged shooters. This Naveed is of Pakistani origin and a resident of Sydney.
In a video posted to the Pakistan Consulate General Sydney's Facebook page, the man explains that people online have been taking his photos from his social media pages and linking him to the named suspect.
"I am going to clearly tell everyone that that is not me and I have nothing to do with that incident or with that person," he said. "That is a different person, and I am completely outside of this matter."
See the video here:
Naveed continued: "This issue is very serious and I'm very stressed and scared about this. I cannot even go outside safely, so I just want everyone's help to help me stop this propaganda."
He went on to ask people to report online accounts that link his pictures to him being Sunday's shooter.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke out following yesterday's harrowing events and pledged to make gun laws 'tougher' in the country.
"The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws," he said.
"People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity."
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.
Or, if you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
