Bondi Beach mass shooting suspects acted alone, Australian police say; nationwide gun crackdown announced
SYDNEY — A father and son accused of killing 15 people in an Islamic State-inspired attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach acted alone and were not part of a broader terrorist cell, Australian police said, as the federal government moved to tighten gun laws and curb hate speech.
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Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators have found no evidence the pair — identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed — were directed by any outside network to carry out the December 14 shooting, which targeted a Jewish festival.
“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out the attack,” Barrett said. She added that authorities are still examining the pair’s movements and motivations.
The men traveled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before the shooting, fueling suspicions of possible links to extremist groups in a region with a history of Islamist insurgency. Barrett said that so far investigators have not uncovered such ties and are probing why the two spent their time in Davao largely confined to a budget hotel, according to CCTV footage. “I want to be clear. I am not suggesting they were there for tourism,” she said.
Police believe the duo “meticulously planned” the attack for months. Investigators released images showing the pair training with shotguns in rural Australia and said a video recorded in October shows the two railing against “Zionists” in front of an Islamic State flag.
Akram, an Indian national who entered Australia on a visa in 1998, was shot and killed by police during the attack. His son, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody charged with 15 counts of murder and other serious offenses.
The killings have shaken Australia and prompted a swift security and policy response. New Year’s Eve celebrations across Sydney will pause at 11 p.m. on Wednesday for a minute of silence, authorities said. Police will deploy officers armed with high-powered firearms to oversee large crowds, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Tuesday.
“That is a clear and deliberate message from the police that safety is the number one priority,” Minns told reporters.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a nationwide crackdown on gun ownership and hate speech in the wake of the attack, promising stricter laws and tougher penalties. He said the government will launch a sweeping gun buyback scheme to “get guns off our streets” — the largest since 1996, when Australia overhauled firearms laws after the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people.
Albanese also ordered a review of police and intelligence services to examine whether gaps in coordination, monitoring or prevention contributed to the Bondi Beach attack, and to recommend reforms.
Authorities emphasized that the criminal investigation continues to explore the suspects’ digital communications, financial transactions and travel, including any contacts made in Australia or overseas. But the working assessment, Barrett said, is that the alleged attackers were self-directed, radicalized and planning independently.
In the short term, security officials urged vigilance while insisting there is no evidence of a continuing threat linked to the Bondi Beach shooting. “We will continue to pursue every line of inquiry,” Barrett said, “and we will continue to keep the public informed.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
