The father and son terrorists who murdered at least 15 people and wounded another 40 at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration obtained their firearms legally, leaving Australian politicians to propose tighter gun laws.
The 50-year-old father, who was killed in the attack, had six firearms licensed to him, with New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon expressing on Sunday that he was confident that all weapons were accounted for.
Lanyon said that the police had little prior knowledge of the father and son and that their histories did not impact the ability of the deceased suspect to obtain firearms.
“The person was determined to be entitled to have a firearms license and had a firearms license,” said Lanyon. “The person had had a firearms license for a number of years for which there were no incidents, and it was regulated.”
'People's circumstances can change,' says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a separate Monday briefing with federal officials that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had taken note of the son in 2019 due to his association with others. However, an assessment was made that “there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”
A national firearms registry was one of the reforms proposed by Albanese in response to the incident. Reuters reported that before a cabinet meeting, his government had agreed to also address aspects such as the number of firearms permitted per license and how long the approvals would remain valid.
“People’s circumstances can change,” the prime minister said, according to Reuters. “People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns also said at a Sunday briefing that there would be inquiries into the possibility of making changes to gun laws in response to the incident.
Weapons used by the terrorists included bolt-action rifles and a shotgun.
In addition to firearms, the two terrorists had reportedly constructed two improvised explosive devices that had to be defused by police.
Police conducted searches at two residences, one at their Bonnyrigg suburban home and another at the Campsie location they had been renting.
The Australian Broadcast Company identified the father as Sajid Akram and the younger shooter as Naveed Akram. Police said that the 24-year-old was in critical but stable condition in the hospital.
Home Affairs Minister Anthony Burke said on Monday that the younger Akram was an Australian citizen, but the elder had come to the country in 1998 on a student visa before transferring to a partner visa in 2001.