Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the leaders of its states and territories have vowed to further toughen the country’s strict gun laws after a father and son opened fire at a Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring several others.
A meeting, convened by Albanese, resulted in a shared commitment among leaders to strengthen gun laws nationwide.
According to his office, discussions covered measures to improve background checks, ban gun licenses for non-nationals, and further restrict allowable weapons.
What do we know so far about the attack?
The attack was orchestrated by a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, identified as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, respectively.
According to police, the two gunmen, armed with “long guns”, started their rampage around 6:40 pm local time, when Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach were in full swing.
The attack is one of the deadliest mass shootings in a country that is not known for gun violence.
Sajid Akram was shot dead by the police at the scene, while Naveed suffered serious injuries.
The victims include a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi.
A total of 42 people were also injured, including four children.
Albanese said the two gunmen were driven by Islamic State ideology, adding that they had been radicalised by an “ideology of hate.”
Police investigations suggest that the two had visited the Philippines in November, with their last trip recorded in Davao City.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said during their visit to the Philippines, they underwent militant training.
The police also revealed that Saijid had gun licenses for six guns which had been used during the attack, and that he was a member of a gun club, suggesting that he was a target shooter.
Following the attack, police confiscated three firearms, two “active” explosive devices and two homemade flags of so-called Islamic State (IS). Another explosive device was found on Monday, while two additional firearms were also seized at two properties in the NSW suburbs of Bonnyrigg and Campsie.
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Australian government response
Following the deadly mass shooting, the government revisited its gun measures, and Albanese and other regional leaders said the government needs to work together toward creating even stronger gun measures.
Leaders said there is a need for strong, decisive and focused action to reform gun law.
These include renegotiating the National Firearms Agreement, fast-tracking the establishment of the National Firearms Register, allowing the additional use of criminal intelligence, limiting the number of firearms to be held by any one individual, limiting open-ended firearms licensing, and allowing only Australian citizens to hold a firearms license.
Albanese and other leaders also reaffirmed their support for the national firearms amnesty program, which allows individuals to surrender unregistered guns without facing legal consequences.
Gun violence is uncommon in Australia due to the country’s stringent firearm regulations.
After a lone gunman killed 35 people in 1996, the government significantly strengthened gun laws, making firearms much harder to obtain.
Since then, mass shootings have been rare, with notable incidents including two murder-suicides in 2014 and 2018, and a shootout between police and Christian extremists in Queensland in 2022.
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