A new report has identified the two alleged gunmen involved in a Bondi Beach terrorist attack. Authorities believe it was a father and son duo who attacked a Hanukkah event at the popular beach in Australia.
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Authorities accused 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, of committing the crime. The two allegedly committed a mass shooting at a Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach. The terrorist attack killed at least 15 and injured more than 40.
The two legally owned six guns. In a shootout, police shot and killed Sajid. His son is currently in critical condition in the hospital. For a decade, Sajid had been part of a gun club and used the weapons to hunt.
Bondi Beach Attack
“He met the eligibility criteria for a firearm’s license,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters during a press conference.
“So the firearms license was to be for a recreational hunting license. There are two types of hunting license: the ability to hunt on a property or also as part of a hunting club — so a gun club. He was a member of a gun club and was entitled by nature of the firearms act to have a firearms license issued.”
The license allowed him to own long arms legally.
“In terms of a firearms license, the firearms registry conducts a thorough examination of all applications to ensure a person is fit and proper to hold a firearms license,” Lanyon said. “We are very much working through the background of both persons. At this stage, we know very little about them.”
The mass shooting at Bondi Beach has officials wanting to crack down even more on firearms. The country already has strict registration. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the talks.
“I think it’s time that 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,” he said during the press conference.
“We want to make sure that prospective reform and change in New South Wales has a lasting impact. If you’re not a farmer, if you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales police?”
More than 1,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach for the celebration. It is also the deadliest mass shooting in the country in decades.