A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach conducted “firearms training” in New South Wales outside of Sydney, Australian media said on Monday.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp, quoting police documents, reported that suspect Naveed Akram trained with his father and recorded a video about their reasons for the attack on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach.
The police statement was made public following his video court appearance on Monday from a Sydney hospital.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, threw four improvised explosive devices at a crowd involved in a Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but they did not explode, ABC reported.
Police shot Sajid Akram dead at the scene and wounded the son. Naveed Akram was charged last week with 59 offences, including 15 murders and one terrorist act.
The Bondi Beach attack was the most serious of a string of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia, which have included attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars, since the Israel-Gaza war broke out in October 2023. It has led to proposals for tighter gun laws and recriminations over Australia's position on the conflict.
The government announced a review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies following the attack, which was, according to Krissy Barrett, Australia's federal police commissioner, inspired by ISIS.
