Bondi Beach shooting: How attacker Naveed's Sydney hunting club membership fits into investigation

24-year-old Naveed Akram has been charged with 15 counts of murder, a terrorism offence and several other serious charges.

Investigators probing the Bondi Beach terror attack are examining how one of the shooters, Naveed Akram, was exposed to firearms training years before the massacre that left 15 people dead in Sydney.

Naveed, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, carried out the antisemitic shooting during a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed survived with injuries and was taken into custody after coming out of a coma on Wednesday. He has since been charged with 15 counts of murder, a terrorism offence and several other serious charges.

As part of the investigation, police recovered Naveed’s wallet at the attack site. Inside was a membership card belonging to the Zastava Hunting Association, a Sydney-based shooting and hunting club linked to the city’s Serbian community.

The club’s president, Vanja Kuet, told Serbian news outlet Blic Online that Naveed had attended the association about five years ago. According to Kuet, the young man took part in basic instruction related to firearms safety and lawful hunting.

“He came for safety training, meaning how to hunt in New South Wales,” Kuet told Blic Online. He said the club conducts legal hunting activities involving animals such as deer, wild boar and goats.

Kuet stressed that the association had no connection to the Bondi Beach attack. “We neither support nor associate with such acts. What happened is terrible,” he was quoted as saying.

He added that Australian Federal Police had already contacted the club during the investigation. Kuet said he did not personally remember Naveed but confirmed that he held a Zastava membership card. He also clarified that the club does not issue gun permits. “All permits are issued by police. We treated him like any other client,” he said.

The Zastava Hunting Association is located more than 50 kilometres from Bondi Beach and describes itself as a recreational hunting group that organises social events and legal hunting trips.

Australian authorities have not alleged any wrongdoing by the club. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has also said it does not suggest the association was involved in or connected to the attack.

The revelations have renewed focus on how the Akram family accessed firearms. Sajid Akram was a licensed gun owner in New South Wales and legally possessed six registered firearms. Reports say four of those weapons were recovered at the scene.

Naveed, however, has not been identified by authorities as holding a firearms licence. Under New South Wales law, membership of a registered hunting club can be used as a legitimate reason to apply for a gun licence, provided strict requirements are met.

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia says applicants must show a “genuine reason” for owning a firearm, which can include hunting through a registered club. Members are required to take part in at least two club activities each year.

The Zastava association’s website highlights hunting education, conservation and safety training, and includes information on firearms licensing and registration. As investigators continue to piece together the events leading up to the Bondi Beach attack, questions remain over how training, licensing and access intersected in this case.