Police say licensed firearms were used in deadly Sydney attack as leaders push for tighter gun laws

Australian authorities say a father and son used legally licensed firearms in a deadly terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, an assault that killed 15 people and has reignited debate over gun laws in a country known for strict firearm controls.

Police said the two suspects acted alone in the Sunday attack, which targeted members of the Jewish community and is being investigated as an act of terrorism motivated by antisemitism. The shooting, described as Australia’s deadliest mass attack in nearly three decades, stunned the nation and left dozens more injured.

Authorities identified the suspects as a 50-year-old man who was killed by police at the scene and his 24-year-old son, who remains hospitalized in a coma under police guard. Officials have not released their names. Police said the father legally owned six firearms, licensed for recreational hunting, all of which were recovered at the scene and used in the attack. He was also a member of a gun club.

The younger suspect, an Australian-born citizen, had previously been reviewed by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency during a six-month investigation beginning in 2019. That review focused on his associations with two individuals later jailed, but authorities said no evidence was found at the time that he was radicalized or planning violence. He was not placed on a watchlist. The father was also interviewed during that earlier investigation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was driven by extremist ideology but emphasized there is no evidence the suspects were part of a broader network or organized cell. He called for renewed scrutiny of firearm licensing, including limits on the number of guns an individual can own and regular reviews of licenses rather than lifetime approvals.

National and state leaders discussed possible changes to gun regulations during a National Cabinet meeting on Monday. Proposed measures include using intelligence assessments more directly in firearm licensing decisions, restricting the types of guns that can be legally owned and tightening eligibility requirements, potentially limiting licenses to Australian citizens.

Australia enacted sweeping gun reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, banning most automatic and semiautomatic weapons and introducing strict licensing and buyback programs. Those laws sharply reduced firearm deaths, but recent reports show civilian gun ownership has risen to more than four million firearms nationwide.

Source: wsj