New footage shows Bondi Beach survivors hiding just feet away from gunmen carrying out massacre – as police reveal photos allegedly showing pair training with guns weeks before
New footage has emerged showing survivors hiding just feet away from gunmen on Bondi Beach, while police have revealed photos of alleged attackers receiving weapons training just weeks earlier.
Previously unseen footage of the attack showed two men, a child, a teenage boy and a woman cowering on a set of stairs leading to a footbridge where suspected terrorist attackers allegedly opened fire on people celebrating Hanukkah.
When one of the suspected shooters, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, appeared at the top of the stairs, crowds of people were seen running for their lives.
A man was seen protecting the child as shots were fired from a high-powered rifle.
The men, child and woman then desperately ran for safety under the footbridge, while a fifth person, understood to be a young boy, also ran towards the beach.
Another person in a white T-shirt ran down the opposite side of the stairs and came within inches of Sajid’s gun before ducking out of the camera lens.
Sajid apparently pointed his rifle at the person in the white shirt for a moment but did not open fire on him.
Sajid was shot dead by police moments later, while the second alleged terrorist, his son Naveed Akram, 24, was also injured and now faces multiple charges, including 15 counts of murder.
Previously unseen footage of the attack showed two men, a child, a teenage boy and a woman cowering on a set of stairs leading to a footbridge where terrorist attackers allegedly opened fire on people celebrating Hanukkah.
The men, child and woman then desperately ran for safety under the footbridge, while a fifth person, understood to be a young boy, also ran towards the beach.
Evidence has emerged from the police showing that alleged terrorists took photographs with weapons and homemade devices before the December 14 terrorist attack.
The footage was included in a statement of facts released by a Sydney court on Monday.
This comes after police uncovered evidence showing alleged terrorists posed for photos with guns and homemade devices before the December 14 terror attack.
The footage was included in a statement of facts released by a Sydney court on Monday.
The key documents were suppressed until the NSW Court lifted the suppression order earlier today.
The documents allege the two men were armed with homemade pipe bombs and an explosive tennis ball bomb and threw them towards crowds in Bondi during the attack, but the bomb failed to explode.
“After the vehicle was parked, the defendant and (Sajid Akram) removed the ISIS flags from the vehicle and placed them on the inside of the windshield and rear windshield, respectively,” the documents said. The statement was included.
‘Sajid Akram took three firearms from the vehicle, as well as pipe bombs and tennis ball bombs, and proceeded towards the footbridge.
‘Investigators believe three pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb were thrown into the crowd at Archer Park as the footbridge was approached.
‘Preliminary analysis shows that pipe bombs are made of sealed aluminum tubes containing explosives, black powder and steel ball bearings.
‘The pipe bombs did not explode, but preliminary analysis indicates that both items are considered improvised explosive devices.’
In a video recorded in October, the pair allegedly posed in front of an Islamic State flag and outlined police’s alleged account of the attack at Bondi Beach.
The Akrams’ car was spotted in Bondi on December 12
Akram’s car seen on Ocean St Woollahra shortly before the attack began
Footage released by the police shows two homemade pipe bombs allegedly belonging to the attackers.
The documents stated, “The defendant is seen reading an Arabic passage from the Quran.”
‘After the book, both the defendant and (Sajid Akram) speak English and make a number of statements regarding the motivation for the ‘Bondi attack’ and condemning the actions of the ‘Zionists’.’
The court document also includes significant CCTV footage of the couple’s movements in the lead-up to the alleged offences.
“Police allege that the accused Naveed and his father Sajid adhere to a religiously motivated extremist ideology linked to the Islamic State,” the document said. The statement is included.
Their videotaped speeches and use of Islamic State flags during the attack also show this.
‘There is evidence that the accused and his father Sajid Akram meticulously planned this terrorist attack for months.
‘i) Creating an ISIS-inspired video; ii) making of ISIS flags; iii) Firearms training; iv) Making pipe bombs and improvised explosive devices; v) Reservation of accommodation to act as a staging point; and vi) Carrying firearms and ammunition for attack.’
