Bondi beach shooting: Suspected gunman conducted tactical training with father prior to attack

Melbourne: The 24-year-old man accused of the mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach allegedly participated in rural firearms training with his father.

Background of the Attack

The father, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene of the shooting, while the son, Naveed Akram, was wounded and taken into custody. The father-son duo had recorded a video "justification" for the massacre, according to police documents cited by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday.

Court Revelations

The details emerged from a police statement of facts made public following a video court appearance by Naveed Akram, who remains under guard in a Sydney hospital.

The documents allege that Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, attempted to use four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the Dec. 14 attack. The pair reportedly threw the devices toward a crowd attending a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at the iconic beach, though the explosives failed to detonate.

The New South Wales court media unit did not immediately release a physical copy of the statement.

The son was charged last week with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.

Authorities allege the duo engaged in "tactical" drills in rural New South Wales months prior to the assault. Investigators also recovered a video in which Naveed allegedly recites religious texts and joins his father in condemning "Zionists" while explaining their motives for the mass shooting.

The attack, which killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor, has prompted the New South Wales government to propose some of the nation's strictest firearm reforms, including new restrictions on gun ownership for non-citizens.

With inputs from AP