Bondi Gunmen Trained With Firearms, Threw Explosives at Crowd Before Attack, Court Documents Reveal
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The father and son accused in the Bondi Beach terror attack conducted firearms training in rural New South Wales and filmed themselves justifying the massacre weeks before killing 15 people, according to court documents released Monday.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid practiced tactical maneuvers with shotguns in late October, moving through countryside terrain while firing weapons, video evidence shows. The pair also recorded themselves reciting passages from the Quran in front of an Islamic State flag, explaining their motivation for what they called the “Bondi attack.”
The revelations came as Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Antrum lifted a suppression order over police evidence in the case, allowing a redacted version of the statement of alleged facts to be made public. The documents detail extensive planning for the Dec. 14 attack that targeted a Jewish Chanukah celebration at Archer Park.
Naveed Akram faces 59 charges including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father was shot dead by police during the attack. On Monday, authorities transferred the younger Akram from hospital to a correctional facility.
Four Explosive Devices Thrown at Crowd
Police say the gunmen threw four improvised explosive devices toward the crowd when they arrived at Bondi Beach about 6:50 p.m. The homemade bombs — three pipe bombs and one tennis ball bomb — did not detonate but were assessed as “viable” by investigators.
A fifth IED was discovered in the car the men drove from their rented property in Campsie to Bondi Beach. Images released by police show metal canisters and brown-taped packages containing the explosive devices.
“The accused and (his father) took three firearms and began shooting at the Chanukah by the Sea gathering” after placing Islamic State flags on their vehicle’s windscreens, the court documents state.
The attack marked Australia’s deadliest terror incident, with 15 victims killed and multiple others wounded. Names of survivors have been redacted from the public documents to protect their privacy and assist in recovery
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Videos Show Training, Justification for Attack
Investigators recovered multiple videos from Naveed Akram’s phone showing the pair “adhered to a religiously motivated violent extremism ideology,” according to the alleged facts.
In footage dated late October, both men are “seen conducting firearms training in a countryside location, suspected to be in NSW,” the documents state. “The accused and his father are seen throughout the video firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner.”
Another video shows the men sitting before an image of an Islamic State flag with long-arm firearms. Naveed Akram “recites, in Arabic, a passage from the Quran” before both men speak in English about their motivation.
“In this video, the accused and (his father) recite their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack,” the court documents say. The pair condemned what they called the acts of “Zionists” during the recording
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Reconnaissance Mission Two Days Before Attack
CCTV footage captured two males “believed to be the accused and his father” traveling to Archer Park on the evening of Dec. 12, two days before the shooting.
The men exited their vehicle and walked along a footbridge that would later become their firing position during the attack. Police allege the visit constitutes “evidence of reconnaissance and planning of a terrorist act.”
Additional surveillance footage shows the pair leaving their Campsie Airbnb with concealed weapons before beginning their journey to Bondi Beach on the day of the attack.
At the Campsie property, investigators discovered a rifle, shotgun, gun parts, two copies of the Quran and bomb-making equipment, according to police evidence
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Suppression Orders Modified After Media Challenge
The release of court documents followed legal arguments Monday morning, during which barrister Dauid Sibtain SC made submissions on behalf of media outlets including the ABC.
NSW Police initially sought to suppress the entire statement of alleged facts, citing concerns about re-traumatizing victims and the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder. A psychiatrist’s report noted some victims require anonymity to assist in recovery.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Antrum revoked the blanket suppression order and implemented new restrictions that redact only the names of shooting survivors. The modified orders include a provision allowing injured victims to tell their stories publicly if they choose, lifting the anonymity requirement for those who wish to speak.
A barrister representing the NSW Police Commissioner tendered the psychiatric reports but agreed to the release of the redacted documents.
Month-Long Preparation Preceded Attack
The court evidence reveals the Akrams spent significant time preparing for the assault. The father and son had rented the Campsie property where they stockpiled weapons and materials.
Their firearms training in regional NSW occurred approximately six weeks before the attack, with the reconnaissance visit to Bondi coming just 48 hours before they opened fire on the Chanukah gathering.
Police say the videos found on Naveed Akram’s phone demonstrate the ideological motivation behind the violence, with the pair explicitly stating their reasons for targeting the Jewish community event.
The case will return to court in February when suppression orders will be reviewed. Legal proceedings are expected to continue for months as prosecutors build their case against the surviving gunman.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologized in the wake of the attack and announced security reforms, while debate continues over New South Wales gun laws and protest regulations in response to the massacre.
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