A man accused of killing 15 people in a terror attack at Bondi Beach during a Jewish holiday is expected to face fresh charges. Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid, allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah gathering at Archer Park in Sydney on December 14. Sajid was shot dead at the scene.
New Charges Filed
Akram will now face 19 new charges, including 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder, multiple counts of causing wounding with intent to murder, and discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest. The 24-year-old was previously charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. He is being held in a maximum security prison on remand and has yet to enter a plea. The new charges were outlined in court documents and added in April before Akram’s hearing at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.
Details of the Attack
New South Wales Police alleged that the father and son parked their vehicle near a footbridge overlooking Archer Park at Bondi on the evening of December 14. The pair also allegedly threw improvised explosive devices into a group of people, although none detonated. Two officers and dozens of people were injured during the incident. Among the victims was London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, a father of five and assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi.
Court documents previously alleged that Sajid and Naveed Akram visited the area for reconnaissance and planning in the days before the attack. Police have also accused the pair of conducting firearms training in the Australian countryside. A larger IED was found in the trunk of the son’s car, which had been draped with Islamic State group flags, police said.
Ongoing Investigations
Akram is due to return to court in June. The police investigation is one of three official inquiries examining Australia’s worst alleged terrorist attack. Another inquiry examined how law enforcement and intelligence agencies called for stricter gun controls. This is part of a wider royal commission, Australia’s highest form of public inquiry. It is investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in daily life and the circumstances of the Bondi shooting. The commission began its public hearings on Monday.
