Accused Bondi gunman recorded terror attack motivation video, police say

A gunman accused of killing people on Australia’s Bondi Beach recorded a video outlining what police allege was his motivation for a “meticulously” planned attack on a Jewish celebration, court documents show.

In another video recorded in October 2025, police said father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram appear to carry out firearms training in the Australian countryside.

Naveed Akram, 24, is accused of 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act over the attack in Sydney, in which 15 people died and dozens more were injured on December 14.

His father Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene.

A Sydney court last week placed a temporary suppression order on the alleged statement of fact,from New South Wales (NSW) Police, but it was overruled on Monday.

Court documents said police found material on Akram’s mobile phone indicating he and his father adhered to what police called a “religiously motivated extremist” ideology.

According to NSW law enforcement, the footage shows Naveed Akram allegedly “recorded appearing to recite, in Arabic, a passage from the Koran”.

The police statement says: “Following the recitation, both the accused and S Akram speak in English and make a number of statements regarding their motivation for the ‘Bondi attack’ and condemning the acts of ‘Zionists’.

“In this video, the accused and (his father) recite their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”

Naveed Akram is also accused of 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol, and placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm.

Police allege Arkam and his father parked their vehicle near a footbridge overlooking Archer Park at Bondi about 6.50pm, placing Islamic State flags in the front and rear windows.

It is alleged they removed three firearms from the vehicle, along with a tennis ball bomb and three pipe bombs.

While the pipe bombs did not detonate, law enforcement assessed the explosives as “viable”, according to court documents.

Investigators allege the pair then opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered in the park to celebrate the start of the Jewish Hanukkah festival of lights, and threw multiple explosive devices into the crowd.

It is unclear whether Akram or his father threw the improvised explosives, police said.

NSW Police said there is evidence the father and son “meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months”.

Police said Akram received “advanced” medical care in a Sydney hospital after the shooting.

In the days afterwards, he reportedly had to be reminded of conversations with officers and that he was in police custody.

New South Wales state government confirmed Akram was transferred from hospital to prison on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The massacre – Australia’s worst in almost three decades – prompted international outcry and government plans to tighten the country’s gun laws and hate-speech regulations.

The nation marked one week since the attack with a national day of reflection on Sunday.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese had called on people around the country to observe a minute’s silence and light a candle at 6.47pm, the local time when the attack started a week ago.

“For our Jewish community, the pain is deep. For people across the country, the shock is still raw,” he said on X.

“Together, we will fight against antisemitism in every form.”

Among the victims was London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, a father of five and assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi.

His funeral was held last week.

During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, told the congregation it was “unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense”.