The 24-year-old Naveed Akram is accused of 59 crimes, including murder and terrorism, in connection with the Bondi massacre that resulted in numerous deaths during a Hanukkah celebration.
Following a string of killings that rocked Australia, Naveed Akram, 24, the alleged gunman behind the Bondi massacre, has been charged with 59 offenses, including terrorism and murder.
"Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community," New South Wales state police said in an AFP report.
Using a different moniker for the Islamic State group, they stated in a statement that "early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organization in Australia."
Shortly after being officially charged by police for his alleged role in the Chanukah By The Sea mass shooting, Akram failed to show up in bail court on Wednesday.
Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, are charged with shooting at guests at the Jewish gathering on Sydney's famous Bondi Beach on Sunday night.
Police shot and killed Sajid, while Naveed was hurt, arrested, and emerged from a coma on Tuesday.
He was formally charged by police on Wednesday afternoon with 40 counts of causing severe bodily harm with intent to kill, 15 counts of murder, and one crime of terrorist act.
On Sunday night, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, opened fire on Jewish crowds gathered at Bondi Beach celebrating Hanukkah using long-barrelled firearms.
Authorities claimed that they specifically targeted a popular Hanukkah event that brought over 1,000 individuals to the well-known surfing location. According to an AFP article, Father Sajid Akram was an Indian national who had lived in Australia for many years, and his son Naveed, who was reportedly unemployed as a bricklayer, had an Australian passport.
Although he wasn't considered an urgent threat at the time, Naveed initially caught the notice of Australia's intelligence agency in 2019, according to AFP.
The two visited the southern Philippines in the weeks preceding the attack, and Australian police are looking into whether they had any contact with Islamist militants while there.
A car registered to Naveed that had been parked close to the beach also contained two manufactured Islamic State flags.
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