Bondi beach shooting – latest: Police say gunmen were father and son as cabinet to discuss tougher gun laws
Ten-year-old girl was among those killed in attack at Hanukkah celebration
The suspected gunmen who killed 15 people in an antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son, police have said.
Hundreds had gathered for an event called Chanukah by the Sea near Bondi Beach’s children’s park when the attack was launched on Sunday evening.
One gunman, aged 50, was shot by police and died at the scene, while a second attacker, a 24-year-old man, suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said that he will take proposed tougher gun laws to the national cabinet today, including possible limits on how many firearms a person can legally own and a review of current licences.
A ten-year-old girl who was taken to the Sydney Children’s Hospital after the attack is among those who have died. At least 40 people are receiving treatment in hospital, including three other children.
Officials said 14 people died at the scene with the child and a 40-year-old man later dying in hospital. The victims range from 10 years old to 87.
Pig heads left at Muslim cemetery
NSW Police say a Muslim cemetery in Narellan in southwest Sydney was allegedly vandalised with butchered pig heads and other animal remains.
Police statement said: “Officers attached to Camden Police Area Command attended and found several pig heads at the scene.
“Police immediately commenced an investigation into the incident.
“The pig heads have since been removed and disposed of appropriately. Inquiries are ongoing.
“The Lebanese Muslim Association bought the graveyard in the grounds of St Thomas’ Anglican church in 2008 to help overcome a shortage of burial sites.”
Religious leader distances himself from Bondi Beach attackers
Naveed Akram, one of the Bondi Beach attackers, studied for one year at the Al Murad Institute in western Sydney, which has condemned the Bondi attack and distanced itself from the gunman.
Institute founder Adam Ismail described the attack as a “horrific shock, 100 per cent” and said his family had received death threats after images circulated online.
“I condemn this act of violence without any hesitation,” he said.
He added that the killing was forbidden in Islam, saying the Quran teaches that “taking one innocent life is like killing all of humanity”.
Fifteen victims were killed in the attack.
Ismail distanced himself from the gunman and said that Naveed only attended classes in Koran recitation and Arabic in late 2019.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese described it as “an act of pure evil”, saying Bondi Beach had been “forever tarnished” by the events.
Police identify six victims
Authorities have now identified six victims killed in the Bondi Beach attack.
They include Matilda, the 10-year-old girl whose family has asked for privacy, and Peter Meagher, a former NSW police officer, long-time Randwick Rugby volunteer and freelance photographer who was working at the Hanukkah event.
“‘Marzo’, as he was universally known, was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement,” the rugby club said in a statement.
The other four identified victims include men and women who had gathered to mark the first day of Hanukkah.
Authorities said further details about them are being released cautiously as families are notified.
In total, 15 people were killed in the attack.
Investigators believe gunmen pledged allegiance to Isis
Australian authorities are investigating the Bondi Beach shooting as a terror attack after it emerged that one of the gunmen had previously come to the attention of ASIO for links to an Isis cell.
Police say the attackers were father and son – Naveed Akram, 24, who is in hospital under police guard, and Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by officers.
Investigators believe the pair pledged allegiance to Isis, with two Isis flags found in their car, and the Joint Counter Terrorism Team is now examining the lead-up to the attack.
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess confirmed that “one of these individuals was known to us, but not in an immediate-threat perspective” adding that authorities need to examine what went wrong.
‘Hero’ bystander who disarmed one of the attackers is ‘recovering’ in hospital, family says
Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who disarmed one of the alleged Bondi attackers, is recovering in hospital after surgery for gunshot injuries, according to his family.
The 43-year-old Sydney fruit shop owner was shot in the arm and hand after confronting the gunman and taking his rifle.
His cousin, Mustafa, told 7News Australia that doctors had said Ahmed was stable following the operation.“He is a hero, he is a hundred per cent hero,” Mustafa said.
“Still he is in the hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside ... but we hope he will be fine.”
Comment: Bondi was my safe haven – now Australia will never be the same
Bondi was my safe haven – after today, Australia will never be the same
10-year-old shooting victim identified
The 10-year-old girl killed in the Bondi Beach shooting has been identified as Matilda, authorities said.
Her family has chosen not to release her surname but shared a photograph of her with the local media.
The NSW Police Commissioner says multiple investigations are underway, including a joint counterterrorism probe led by police, as well as a critical incident investigation into police gunfire that killed one person and injured another.
Gun laws must be tightened, NSW premier Chris Minns says
NSW premier Chris Minns says gun laws must be tightened to prevent a repeat of the Bondi attack.
He said this would involve “making 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 to put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales police?” he added.
“I understand the genuine desire to have information about how the law will change, but we're less than 24 hours into this horrifying crime.
“I want to make sure that legislation and reform that we bring to Parliament makes a big difference, but that's entirely my intention and my colleagues feel the same way,” Minns said.
Older gunman had hunting licence for long arms, police say
The Bondi Beach gunman was legally eligible to hold a firearms licence for recreational hunting, police said, and had the appropriate permissions for the weapons he owned.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the man held a “category AB licence that entitled him to have the long arms he had”, adding that the firearms registry conducts “a thorough examination of all applications to ensure a person is fit and proper to hold a firearms licence”.
Under NSW rules, eligibility for a game hunting licence depends on factors such as the land, the animals hunted and the purpose, with the Service NSW website listing “recreation or personal consumption” as valid reasons.
Bondi Beach to remain closed on Monday, say police
New South Wales Police said Bondi Beach will remain closed on Monday following an attack that killed at least 15 people.
"Bondi Beach and surrounding roads in the Bondi area will be closed today as investigators continue to work through the crime scene. Aircrafts including drones are prohibited from flying over the crime scene," a statement said.