SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Police allege that Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, conducted tactical firearms training in the New South Wales (NSW) countryside prior to last week’s deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
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The attack, targeting a Hanukkah event, killed 15 people in Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades. Shooter Sajid Akram was shot dead during the incident, while his son Naveed, an Australian citizen, was moved from hospital to jail on Monday.
Court documents released by police show the pair recorded a video in October expressing extremist views and railing against “Zionists” while seated in front of an Islamic State flag. They also conducted a nighttime reconnaissance of Bondi Beach days before the killings. Police described footage of the suspects firing shotguns and moving in a “tactical manner,” suggesting careful preparation for the attack.
There is new evidence against the father and son gunmen blamed for the Bondi Beach massacre. Photos and videos, allegedly showing them rehearsing and training for the attack, and even scoping out the bridge in the days before the shooting. @Sacre88 @AngeliqueOpie7 @JWMartin777 pic.twitter.com/zR7LLyKp6V
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) December 22, 2025
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to introduce tougher laws against hate speech and extremism. “We’re not going to let the ISIS-inspired terrorists win. We won’t let them divide our society, and we’ll get through this together,” he said. Albanese emphasized protections for Jewish Australians and announced plans to create an aggravated offence for hate preaching.
Authorities also outlined a sweeping crackdown on firearms. The federal government announced a major buyback scheme—the largest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre—and New South Wales introduced legislation capping gun ownership at four per person (ten for exempted individuals like farmers). The new laws also prohibit the display of “terrorist symbols,” such as Islamic State flags, and allow authorities to restrict public protests for up to three months following a terrorism incident.
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NSW Premier Chris Minns said parliament would review stricter hate speech legislation, including curbing the phrase “globalise the intifada,” commonly used at pro-Palestinian rallies. “We need to take steps so that it never happens again,” he said.