Bondi gunmen acted alone, police say
Australian police say the two men accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach acted alone and were not part of a wider militant cell.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators have found no evidence that the suspects, Naveed Akram and his father Sajid Akram, received direction or formal training from extremist groups, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack,” Barrett told a news conference.
The shooting on December 14 killed 15 people, marking Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades and prompting swift political debate over gun laws.
Police previously said the suspects were inspired by Islamic State, citing homemade militant flags found in their vehicle. Investigators also examined a month-long trip to Mindanao in the Philippines, a region with a history of militant activity. On Tuesday, however, authorities said there was no indication the pair received weapons or combat training during the trip.
Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram survived his injuries and has since been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and terrorism-related crimes. Investigations in Australia and the Philippines are continuing.
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