Death toll rises to 16 in Bondi terrorist attack by father and son
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
More news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will move to limit the number of guns Australians can own and review gun licences in the wake of the Bondi massacre.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Albanese said he would take the proposals to a meeting of the national cabinet later in the afternoon, describing Sunday’s attack as a “dark day in Australia's history on what should have been a day of light”.
The prime minister said the Howard-era gun laws in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre were a proud and bipartisan reform, but accepted they may need to be “toughened up”.
“Licenses should not be in perpetuity, and [we will be] making sure that those checks and balances are in place as well,” he said.
“I'll task the national cabinet this afternoon [with] a proposal to empower agencies to examine what can be done in this area.”
Australian gun laws are a combined responsibility of the Commonwealth and states, with the Albanese government working on a national firearms register to ensure cross-border information sharing.
“What we want to do is to make sure that we're all completely on the same page,” Albanese said.
The prime minister’s comments came after revelations that the alleged killers — a father and son duo — had access to weapons via a gun licence held by the father, Sajid Akram.
The 50-year-old, who was killed during the attack, legally owned six firearms. He entered Australia in 1998 on a student visa, transferred to a partner visa and regularly reentered the country on a resident return visa.
His son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was born and raised in Australia. Naveed Akram is in a critical condition in hospital, though NSW police expected him to be charged.
He was assessed by ASIO in 2019 over associations with others linked to the Islamic State terror group. Albanese said the agency concluded there was no indication of any “ongoing threat” posed by Naveed Akram at that time, but declined to say whether he viewed that as an intelligence failure.
Albanese also revealed that the government would extend funding for the Council For Jewish Community Security, and would work to expedite visitor visas for family members of victims wanting to attend funerals in Australia.
What they said: “The Howard Government's laws have made an enormous difference in Australia, and a proud moment of reform quite rightly achieved across the parliament with bipartisan support. If we need to toughen these up, if there's anything we can do, I'm certainly up for it,” Albanese said.
NSW Premier pledges to tighten state’s gun laws after massacre
More news: NSW Premier Chris Minns says it’s “time to have a change” in firearms laws, after revelations one of the alleged Bondi killers legally owned six guns.
NSW Police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed the older of the alleged shooters, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was legally allowed to own long-armed rifles like those used in Sunday’s massacre.
He had held a gun licence since 2015, though Lanyon conceded police knew “very little about” the pair at this stage.
Lanyon refused to confirm reports that the 24-year-old alleged shooter, named as Naveed Akram, had been investigated for association to an Islamic State-linked cell in 2019. The younger alleged shooter was in a critical condition, though Lanyon said he was likely to face charges “based on his medical condition”. His father was killed during the attack.
Minns confirmed his government was “looking at [tighter gun laws] as we speak”, but urged time to draft legislation.
Minns warned that granting a licence in perpetuity was “clearly not fit for purpose”, saying he was considering recalling parliament to address the matter.
“[The laws] need to change and they can change,” he said.
“It means introducing a bill to Parliament to — to be really blunt — make it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community. If you're not a farmer, you're not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons?”
Federal Opposition leader Sussan Ley had earlier refused to be drawn on the prospect of tougher gun laws, which are a joint responsibility of state and federal authorities.
Minns revealed the NSW government would also assess whether there had been a failure of communication between state and federal authorities.
“It wouldn't be the right thing to do within 24 hours of this shocking violent attack to be pronouncing failures here without the aid of an independent investigation. What I can promise is that's exactly what we'll provide,” Minns said.
Minns said queues for blood donations were “unprecedented” levels in the aftermath of the attack.
As of 12:30pm on Monday, the official death toll remained at 15 and one gunman. Thirty-eight people remained in hospital.
What they said: “I think it's time we have a change to the law in relation to the firearms legislation in New South Wales, but I'm not ready to announce it today,” Minns told reporters.
“We want to make sure that prospective reform and change in New South Wales has a lasting impact. You can expect action soon.”
Ley accuses Labor of failing to act on antisemitism, wants envoy’s report implemented
More news: Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has accused the Albanese government of allowing antisemitism “to fester” in a sharp escalation of rhetoric after the Bondi massacre.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ley declined to explicitly back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused Labor of fuelling antisemitism, but said she “understood the frustration being expressed today by so many Jewish Australians”.
She also significantly sharpened her criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who she claimed “has not responded” to a rise in anti-Jewish hatred.
“We have a government that sees anti-Semitism as a problem to be managed, not evil that needs to be eradicated,” she said.
“It is time for the prime minister and his government to step up where they haven't for the last two years.”
Months after a contentious report released by special envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal, Ley demanded Labor adopt its recommendations in full.
“They should [have responded earlier] … We are still waiting,” she said.
“The government has been warned, comprehensively and unequivocally, about the rising tide of antisemitism in this country.”
Ley said parliament should be recalled if laws needed to change.
But Ley repeatedly declined to be drawn on tightening Australia’s gun laws, saying that “families waiting by the bedsides of their loved ones across hospitals”.
Ley also claimed chants like “From the river to the Sea”, made on some university campuses, were “explicit” calls for the destruction of Israel and accused universities of failing to respond appropriately.
Ley said she spoke to Albanese on Sunday evening, offering the Coalition’s support and requesting security briefings from the intelligence agencies.
Albanese will chair another meeting of the national security committee on Monday afternoon.
What they said: “Many Australians this morning are feeling a growing sense of bewilderment. Yes, there is anger. There is palpable anger. Because anti-Semitism in Australia has been left to fester,” Ley said.
Bondi gunman held firearms licence for 10 years, no prior indication of planning: police
More news: NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said there was “no indication” the two shooters were planning the attack and authorities so far had “very limited knowledge” of either man beforehand.
What they said: He said the older gunman, who was killed at the scene, was a legally licensed firearm holder who had held a gun licence for about 10 years and had six registered firearms, all of which were seized during police raids in Bonnyrigg and Campsie.
Lanyon said it would be “premature” to assess whether there had been any failure in the licensing system while investigations continued.
He confirmed two “basic” improvised explosive devices were found at the shooter’s home and had not been activated.
When asked at a press conference on Monday, he declined to comment on motive or ideology, saying the investigation was in its early stages and further information would be provided when confirmed.
Death toll rises to 16 in Bondi terrorist attack by father and son
The news: The death toll from last night’s Bondi Beach terror shooting has risen to 16, including a 10-year-old girl, with officials confirming 15 victims and one of the gunmen shot dead by police at the scene.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the shooters were father and son and authorities are not looking for any other shooters. The 50-year-old man was shot dead at the scene, while the 24-year-old was critically injured and remains in hospital under police guard, he said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. NSW Police later confirmed that a 40-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl died in hospital overnight.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said 38 people are being treated in hospitals across Sydney, with five in critical condition. Two police officers were among those injured.
What they said: Police have declared the attack a terrorist incident “deliberately targeted at the Jewish community”, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing it as “an act of pure evil”. He pledged to dedicate “every single resource” to the response.
“We as a nation are stronger than the cowards who did this,” Albanese said Monday morning.
He thanked world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and others, for reaching out to offer their condolences and support.
Forensic work is ongoing, and Bondi Beach and surrounding roads remain closed. The FBI is assisting Australian agencies, and Victoria Police have increased patrols at Jewish community sites.
The sources: ABC News, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sussan Ley press conference, Chris Minns press conference, ABC, Prime minister press conference
