Anthony Albanese, Photo: Steven Saphore / AFP / Profimedia
Australia's government has announced it will consider tightening its already strict gun laws after a deadly gun attack on attendees of a Jewish festival on Sydney's famous Bondi Beach.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised on Monday that the government is ready to take “any necessary measures” in response to what the authorities have classified as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack that killed 15 people, DPA and Agerpres report. The age of the deceased varies between 10 and 87 years. One of the two suspects was killed by the police.
A day after the attack at the Hanukkah event on the famous beach, 27 people continue to be hospitalized, six of whom are in critical condition, health authorities said.
Latest on Sydney's Bondi Beach massacre: At least 15 dead and dozens injured
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the Australian cabinet, Albanese said police and prosecutors had been asked to work out policy options, although no specific reforms had yet been agreed.
Measures under consideration include banning weapons that can be made with 3D printers, limiting the number of firearms a person can own, tightening controls on gun imports and restricting gun licenses for Australian citizens.
“People's circumstances can change, people can be radicalized over time, licenses should not be for life,” Albanese said.
Sunday's attack shocked Australia and was the deadliest gun incident in three decades. Australia introduced strict gun control laws after a 1996 mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in which 35 people died.
The Albanian prime minister rejected claims by Israel that Australia's official recognition of a Palestinian state earlier this year was linked to the attack, saying he saw no connection. He added that Australia needed to take a tougher stance against anti-Semitism.
The investigators identified the attackers as a father and his son. The 50-year-old father was shot dead by police at the scene, while the 24-year-old son was arrested and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
The Albanian prime minister said Australia's domestic intelligence agency had investigated the son six years ago for alleged links to an Islamic State cell in Sydney. Police declined to confirm media reports that two Islamic State flags were found in the attackers' vehicle, citing an ongoing investigation.
Local media reported that the father entered Australia in 1998 on a student visa and that his son was born in Australia. Family members had been informed that the two would be going on a weekend fishing trip.
New South Wales Police Chief Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the father was a member of a hunting club and had a firearms license that allowed him to own long-barreled weapons. Authorities said he legally owned six firearms.
