Bondi Beach Attack: Alleged Gunmen Planned Months in Advance, Police Reveal

Tue Dec 23 2025 10:28:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

New court documents reveal that the gunmen responsible for the Bondi Beach attack meticulously planned their assault for months, leading to tragic consequences during a Hanukkah celebration.

In a shocking turn of events, the alleged gunmen responsible for the Bondi Beach attack have been accused by police of meticulously planning their assault for several months. Reports indicate that they conducted reconnaissance just days before the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals and left many more injured. Naveed Akram, one of the suspected attackers, faces multiple charges including murder and terrorism. The incident has raised serious questions about Australia's approach to security and counter-terrorism efforts.

The suspected gunmen in the Bondi Beach attack threw explosives at the start of the deadly incident and had practised shooting weeks before, according to new court documents.

They allege the pair meticulously planned the attack for months and, two days prior to the shooting, visited Bondi for reconnaissance.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on 14 December. Explosives, including a tennis ball bomb, failed to detonate, the documents said.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of terror. A second gunman - his father, Sajid Akram - was shot dead by police at the scene.

Last week, a temporary suppression order was made on the release of the police fact sheet to protect the identities of the survivors. It was revoked on Monday and the documents were published with some redactions.

Included in the new court documents are the details of several videos tracing the movements of the alleged gunmen in the months, days, and hours before the attack.

One video - taken on one of their mobile phones in October - is described as showing the men sitting in front of an image of an Islamic State group (IS) flag. They are heard making statements about their motivations for the attack and condemn 'the acts of 'Zionists', police say.

Naveed Akram is also recorded appearing to recite, in Arabic, a passage from the Quran.

Police said separate footage from October shows the father and son conducting firearms training in a countryside location, believed to be in New South Wales. They are seen 'firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner', officials added.

At around 02:00 (15:00 GMT) on the day of the attack, two men were captured on CCTV leaving rented accommodation in the Sydney suburb of Campsie carrying long and bulky items wrapped in blankets, which they placed into a car.

Shortly after 17:00 (08:00 GMT), the men were seen leaving the rental. Separate footage captures them arriving at Bondi, where they parked and placed flags on the inside of the car before walking towards a footbridge, where they threw explosives and opened fire on the crowd.

The incident resulted in the tragic death of 15 individuals, with investigations continuing into the background and motivations of the individuals involved. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces mounting pressure regarding the government's handling of the incident and possible reforms in response to the attack.