Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on people gathered to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
What you should know
Police have filed 59 charges against Naveed Akram, the man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach. According to international news agencies, New South Wales Police have filed 15 charges of murder against him.
Similarly, 40 more cases have been registered against Akram, 24, for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. In addition, four cases have been filed, including those of committing a terrorist act, firing a weapon, possessing explosives and publicly displaying the symbol of a terrorist organization.
On December 14, two gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on people gathered to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at Sydney's Bondi Beach. CCTV footage and police investigations have revealed that the two accused shooters are Sajid Akram and Navid Akram. They are father and son. Sajid died at the scene after being shot by police, while Navid, who was injured in a clash with police, is receiving treatment, according to international news agencies.
According to police, Sajid, who has been living in Australia since 1998, had visited his native Hyderabad, India, six times. The officer also said that he has no criminal record in India. His son Navid was born in Australia. “Perhaps because of his radicalism, Sajid has not had much contact with his family in India recently,” the BBC wrote, quoting the police officer.
The incident killed people ranging from elderly people to 10-year-old girls who came to Australia from Europe in the 1990s after enduring the brutality of the Nazi regime during World War II. Son Naveed was arrested by police and taken to hospital. Police said he would be interviewed only after treatment. The court proceedings have been postponed until April.
Who snatched the gun from the attacker
Ahmed Al Ahmed was also at Bondi Beach on the day of the incident. Two gunmen launched the attack, targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah in a nearby park. Within moments, Ahmed hid between two parked cars and snatched one of the gunmen’s guns. In the video, which has been viewed millions of times worldwide, he is seen tackling one attacker and snatching his shotgun from his hand, pointing it at him. The second attacker then opened fire on him. Ahmed is being treated at a local hospital.
Ahmed, 44, is of Syrian origin. Married and a father of two, Ahmed's permanent home is the town of Nayrab in the Idlib region. Before coming to Australia to study in 2006, he served in the police and the Central Security Force in Syria. Nayrab was destroyed by the civil war that began in 2011. He then settled in Australia and started a business. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised Ahmed's bravery. He said Ahmed is a shining beacon of humanity.
We will tighten gun laws further: Prime Minister Albanese
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that gun laws will be tightened further after the 'Bondage Beach' shooting. The Bondi Beach shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since 1996. On 28 April 1996, a gunman opened fire in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and injuring 23 others. Australia tightened its gun laws after the incident. The law banned the sale of semi-automatic rifles and pump-action shotguns and launched a national buyback program. According to the National Museum of Australia, more than 650,000 guns were surrendered to the government under the program.
But the number of guns has been increasing in recent years. According to a report released in January by the public policy research organization The Australia Institute, there are more than 4 million guns in Australia, which is 25 percent more than in 1996. An investigation has shown that Sajid, the accused in the Bondi incident, had owned six guns since 2015. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of law enforcement.
Prime Minister Albanese has said that the cabinet will discuss a plan to tighten gun control. After the latest shooting, the government has begun discussions to draft legislation that would include provisions such as implementing a national gun registration system, using criminal intelligence information in the licensing process, limiting the number and type of guns a person can own, not issuing gun licenses to non-citizens, and tightening gun imports.
