AUSTRALIA’S ACCUSED BONDI BEACH SHOOTER FACES NEW CHARGES

Wed 06 May 2026:

A man accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia is expected to face additional charges as legal proceedings continue, local media reported on Wednesday.

Prosecutors allege that last Dec. 14, Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah alongside his father, Sajid Akram, who was later shot dead by police, according to SBS News, citing Australian Associated Press.

On that evening, two attackers opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring 42 others. Police called the incident a “terrorist attack.”

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Akram, currently held in a high-security prison, had already been charged with 59 offenses, including multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and committing a terrorist act.

Court records now indicate that an additional 19 charges could be added, including shooting with intent to murder and firearms offenses.

After a brief hearing at Downing Centre Local Court, Akram’s lawyer Leonie Gittani said outside court that the defense team had yet to receive the new court attendance notices.

Once the charges are filed, if that happens, “we’ll deal with them at that point,” she said.

The case was adjourned until June, and the accused has not yet entered a plea.

The mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism and widespread anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm.

Australia announced a suite of gun law reforms following the shootings, including a nationwide gun buyback scheme.

The buyback scheme has since stalled as the federal government struggles to convince Australia’s states and territories to sign on.

Naveed Akram was flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019, but he slipped off the radar after it decided that he posed no imminent threat.

Police documents released following the attack said he and his father had carried out “firearms training” in what was believed to be the New South Wales countryside prior to the shooting.

They said the suspects “meticulously planned” the attack for months, releasing pictures showing them firing shotguns and moving in what they described as a “tactical manner”.

The pair also recorded a video in October railing against “Zionists” while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group and detailing their motivations for the attack, police said.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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