Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
New images have surfaced revealing the preparation behind the tragic Bondi Beach attack that resulted in 15 fatalities.
The Australian police have charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, with conducting firearms training in a rural area of New South Wales for weeks. This was allegedly in preparation for an attack on a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s renowned beach on Sunday, December 14.
Among the victims was 10-year-old Matilda, a schoolgirl who had relocated from Ukraine with her family seeking a better life. The attack claimed the lives of 14 others, including an 87-year-old individual, and left 40 more injured.
Sajid, aged 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed survived gunshot wounds. He received treatment in a hospital before being transferred to a prison facility.
Following the lifting of a suppression order by a court, images and videos related to the case have been made public.
Sky News reports, based on a police fact sheet, that the footage captures Naveed and Sajid practicing with shotguns in a rural New South Wales location during late October.
The police documentation states: “The accused and his father are seen throughout the video firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner.”
On the day of the attack, investigators allege that Naveed and Sajid attempted to detonate homemade bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) among the crowd. Fortunately, none of these devices exploded.
Officials indicate that a silver Hyundai, parked in close proximity, contained three pipe bombs, a tennis ball bomb, a large IED, several firearms, including a Beretta rifle, two single-barrel shotguns, and two Islamic State flags displayed in its windows.
A phone retrieved from the vehicle reportedly stored videos of the training sessions.
Furthermore, another video allegedly features Naveed and Sajid sitting before an Islamic State flag with weapons in the background, where they ‘appear to summarize their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack’.
CCTV footage allegedly shows the Hyundai arriving at Bondi two days before the attack, implying they were surveying the area beforehand. On the day of the massacre, they were recorded leaving a rented property, carrying large, blanket-wrapped items presumed to be weapons and explosives.
The police later discovered ammunition, bomb-making materials, firearm parts, and religious texts at the site.
Naveed’s mother informed police that she believed her son and husband were on a fishing trip at the time of the attack.
In the wake of the incident, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has vowed to enact the nation’s strictest gun laws.
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.