Australia Moves to Tighten Gun Laws After Deadly Bondi Beach Shooting
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
Sydney, Dec 15 (GeokHub) Australia on Monday pledged to strengthen its gun laws as the country began mourning victims of its deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, after police accused a father and son of killing 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Authorities said the attack has raised fresh questions about whether Australia’s gun regulations — among the strictest globally — need further tightening. Police revealed the older suspect had legally held a firearms licence since 2015 and owned six registered weapons.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his cabinet agreed to pursue tougher gun controls and establish a national firearms register. Proposed measures include limiting the number of weapons allowed under a licence, restricting licence durations, and tightening eligibility requirements.
“People’s circumstances can change,” Albanese said before the cabinet meeting. “People can be radicalised over time. Licences should not be permanent.”
Police said the 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene, bringing the total death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital. Forty people were taken to hospital following the attack, including two police officers who were listed in serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Authorities declined to release the suspects’ names. Security officials said one of the attackers was known to police but had not been considered an immediate threat.
Investigators said they were still working to determine the background and motivation of the suspects. Officials did not provide details on the firearms used, though footage from the scene showed weapons resembling a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.
Flags linked to the Islamic State militant group were later discovered inside the attackers’ vehicle, according to local media reports.
Witnesses said the roughly 10-minute attack caused panic among about 1,000 people attending the Hanukkah event, sending crowds fleeing along the beach and into surrounding streets.
One bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, was captured on video tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before being shot twice. He later underwent surgery and has been widely praised for saving lives. A public fundraising campaign for him has raised more than A$1 million.
On Monday, Bondi Beach was quiet as mourners laid flowers at a makeshift memorial near the pavilion, draped with Australian and Israeli flags. Police and private security patrols were visible around the area.
“This is a very sad time,” said local resident Morgan Gabriel, who described scenes of people running for safety and leaving personal belongings behind during the chaos.
Albanese described the attack as “an act of pure evil, antisemitism and terrorism,” pledging to eradicate antisemitism and support Australia’s Jewish community.
World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, offered condolences following the attack.
The shooting was the most severe in a series of antisemitic incidents reported across Australia since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Mass shootings remain rare in the country, with Sunday’s attack the deadliest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
