Ali Khalif Shire Ali, 22, pleaded guilty to one charge of preparing for a terrorist act. Ali, an Australian citizen, had been accused that between March and April 2017 he prepared to commit a terrorist act at Federation Square on 31 December 2017. Ali had been subjected to a lengthy police investigation, with a phone tap in place from October 2016 until his arrest. He was also subject to physical surveillance and his spending activity was tracked. Police arrested him when it was alleged he attempted to buy a gun for the attack. He was described as an 'Isil sympathiser' and allegedly accessed an al-Qaeda guidebook with information on how to commit a terrorist act and use firearms. Ali was the brother of Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, who was shot dead by police after a rampage in Bourke Street, central Melbourne, in November 2018. Hassan Khalif Shire Ali drove a car into the shopping area, set fire to gas cylinders and then lashed out at bystanders, killing a 74-year-old and injuring others.