A man accused of orchestrating Australia's deadliest terror attack has been served with 19 new charges, six months after the Bondi Beach massacre. Naveed Akram, 24, allegedly opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach alongside his father, Sajid Akram, 50, on December 14. The assault left 15 people dead, including a 10-year-old girl, and dozens injured.
The elder Akram was fatally shot by police, while his son was initially charged with 59 offences and detained at Goulburn's Supermax prison. The existing charges included committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder, and 40 counts of attempted murder for his alleged role in the massacre.
However, the younger Akram now faces an additional 19 charges while in custody, including ten counts of shooting with intent to murder and six counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest. Court records indicate the extra charges were filed in April, ahead of a mention at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. He has not yet been required to enter pleas to any of the charges.
The father-and-son attack stands as Australia's deadliest mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. According to authorities, the men allegedly tossed three pipe bombs filled with steel ball bearings and a tennis ball bomb into the crowd at Archer Park before opening fire. None of the bombs detonated. A box-like bomb was also allegedly found in the boot of their car, alongside two hand-painted ISIS flags.
