SYDNEY: Australian police said on Monday that the suspects in the Bondi Beach mass shooting carried out “tactical” firearms training weeks before the attack, according to court documents.
Police allege father and son Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram practised shooting in rural New South Wales. They rehearsed movements and fired shotguns in what authorities described as a tactical manner.
The pair are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach on December 14. Fifteen people were killed and dozens were injured in the attack, Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades.
Court documents say the suspects planned the attack for months. Police allege they visited Bondi Beach two days earlier to conduct reconnaissance. They also threw explosives at the start of the attack, but the devices failed to detonate.
Investigators recovered several videos from the suspects’ mobile phones. One video, recorded in October, allegedly shows the men sitting in front of an Islamic State (IS) flag. Police say they expressed hatred toward Jews and discussed their motivations.
Police said both suspects visited Bondi Beach the day before the attack. One video also shows Naveed Akram reciting a passage from the Quran in Arabic, according to the documents.
Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram, 24, survived after sustaining injuries and was taken to hospital. Authorities later transferred him to jail.
Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one terrorism-related charge.
A temporary suppression order had blocked the release of police documents to protect survivors’ identities. A court lifted the order on Monday and published the material with redactions.
Also Read: Bondi Beach Shooting: Attackers Confirmed as Indian Citizens
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would consider legal reforms to address extremist and provocative speech.
