Alleged Bondi Beach gunman charged with 19 more offenses over mass shooting

SYDNEY – A man accused of carrying out one of Australia’s worst mass shootings at Sydney’s Bondi Beach last December has been charged with 19 additional offences, according to court proceedings on Wednesday.

Police allege the attack at Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration, was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Authorities had initially charged Naveed Akram with 59 offences in the days following the shooting, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, and a terrorism-related offence.

His lawyer, Leonie Gittani, told a court in Sydney that prosecutors have now filed an additional 19 charges, according to local media reports.

Court documents show the new charges include 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder, six counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest, and three counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

Akram, 24, has not yet entered a plea.

His father, Sajid Akram, 50, whom authorities also accused of involvement in the shooting, was shot dead by police at the scene.

The attack shocked Australia, a country known for its strict gun laws, and prompted renewed calls for tighter gun control measures and stronger action to address antisemitism.

The government has launched an inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion, with findings expected by December. -Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Kate Mayberry/Reuters