Police have released new court documents. They reveal disturbing details about the deadly Bondi shooting. The attack took place during a Hanukah celebration in Sydney. The documents outline allegations that the attackers carried firearms and homemade explosives. They also reportedly recorded an Islamic State–inspired video manifesto months before the attack.
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Media organisations successfully applied to release the police “statement of facts.” Authorities say the material provides insight into how the Bondi shooting was allegedly planned and executed.
Police have charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram with 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of attempted murder over the Bondi shooting on 14 December. They allege his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, acted alongside him. Police shot Sajid Akram dead at the scene.
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According to investigators, the Bondi shooting was not spontaneous. Police allege the attack was the result of months of preparation. This preparation involved weapons training, extremist ideology, and the construction of improvised explosive devices.
Undetonated explosives found at the scene
Court documents state that police located several videos on Naveed Akram’s mobile phone, recorded in October, weeks before the Bondi shooting. In one video, Naveed and his father are allegedly seated in front of an image of an Islamic State flag.
Police allege Naveed appears holding multiple long-arm firearms while reciting a passage from the Qur’an in Arabic. The document claims both men then speak in English about their reasons for planning the Bondi shooting, including statements condemning “Zionists”.
Another video allegedly shows the pair training with firearms in a rural area believed to be in New South Wales. According to police, the footage shows them firing shotguns and moving in a tactical way, suggesting preparation for the Bondi shooting.
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Investigators also allege the pair conducted a reconnaissance visit to Bondi two days before the attack. Police say they visited the same footbridge from which the shots were later fired during the Bondi shooting, overlooking the park where the Jewish festival was held.
Police claim these actions support the allegation that the father and son acted together to further an extremist religious ideology aligned with Islamic State.
Explosives, timeline and arrests linked to the Bondi Shooting
One of the most serious allegations in the court documents involves explosives used during the Bondi shooting. Police allege three pipe bombs and a “tennis ball bomb” were thrown toward the crowd before gunfire began. Although the devices did not detonate, investigators say they were viable improvised explosive devices. Images in court material show what police claim are homemade pipe bombs recovered from Bondi Beach.
The police fact sheet also outlines a detailed timeline leading up to the shooting. CCTV footage allegedly shows the two men leaving an Airbnb property in Campsie at 2.16am on 14 December, carrying long and bulky items wrapped in blankets. Police allege these items included firearms, explosives and Islamic State flags later linked to the Bondi shooting.
Later that day, the pair are accused of driving toward Bondi and parking near a footbridge overlooking Archer Park, where a Hanukah celebration was underway. According to police, Islamic State flags were placed inside the car windows shortly before the Bondi shooting began.
After the attack, police searched multiple properties. At the Campsie address, officers allegedly found more firearms, bomb-making equipment, ammunition, a suspected explosive device and religious items. At a family home in Bonnyrigg, police claim they located smartphones, a long bow with arrows and a homemade firearm.
Court documents also state that Naveed Akram’s mother believed her husband and son were on holiday. Police allege she said Naveed called her daily from a payphone while the planning for the Bondi shooting was underway.
Authorities have confirmed Naveed Akram has been released from hospital and transferred to a New South Wales prison under heavy guard.