Melbourne

The man accused of killing 15 people in a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach had undertaken firearms training with his father in regional New South Wales, according to Australian police documents released on Monday.

A police statement of facts made public after the accused, Naveed Akram, appeared via video link in court alleges that the 24-year-old and his father had meticulously planned the attack over several months and recorded a video outlining their ideological justification.

Akram was shot by police during the December 14 attack and has since been transferred from hospital to a correctional facility. His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene.

According to police, the attack began with the suspects allegedly throwing four improvised explosive devices towards a crowd gathered for an annual Jewish event marking the start of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. The devices failed to detonate.

Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and one tennis ball bomb containing black powder and steel ball bearings, terming them “viable” despite the failure to explode.

Authorities have charged Naveed Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder, and one count of committing a terrorist act.

The shooting is being described as Australia’s worst mass casualty attack involving firearms since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania.

Police said they recovered a video from Akram’s phone in which he and his father are seen reciting political and religious views and allegedly justifying the attack. The statement claims the pair expressed antisemitic views and followed an extremist ideology linked to the Islamic State.

Another video, recorded in October, allegedly shows the two firing shotguns and conducting tactical movement drills in a rural area.

In response to the attack, the New South Wales government introduced draft legislation to Parliament on Monday that would tighten gun ownership laws. Proposed measures include making Australian citizenship mandatory for obtaining a firearms licence and limiting recreational shooters to a maximum of four firearms.

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Sajid Akram, an Indian citizen holding permanent residency, legally owned six rifles and shotguns, police said.