Homemade Bombs Thrown Before Bondi Shooting Failed to Explode

Post by : Saif Nasser

Australian police revealed on Monday that homemade bombs were thrown at a crowd at Bondi Beach before a deadly mass shooting but did not explode. The attack on December 14 during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration left fifteen people dead and dozens injured.

The shooters, father Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed by police, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, have been charged with multiple offences, including murder and terrorism. Police reports show the pair had planned the attack for months and had visited the Bondi area two days before the incident to survey the location.

Court documents detail that the men carried firearms and explosives, including shotguns, a Beretta rifle, three pipe bombs, a tennis ball bomb, and a large improvised explosive device. Police said the bombs were thrown at the crowd but did not detonate. Authorities also found bomb-making materials, 3D-printed firearm parts, and copies of the Quran at their Campsie residence.

In response, the New South Wales government has recalled parliament to propose stricter gun laws. These include limiting firearm ownership to four guns per person (or up to ten for farmers), banning the display of terror symbols, and giving police more authority to remove face coverings during protests. Premier Chris Minns said these measures are needed to protect public safety and maintain community peace.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism over rising antisemitism and was booed during a memorial event at Bondi. In a statement, he expressed regret and called for national unity, saying, “I feel the weight of responsibility for this atrocity and I am sorry for what the Jewish community and our nation have experienced.”

The government is also introducing laws to prevent adults from radicalising children and is preserving public tributes from Bondi Beach for display at the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Australian Jewish Historical Society. The attack has shocked the nation and renewed urgent calls for stronger gun laws and better measures against hate crimes.