Australian police confirm disturbing motive of alleged Bondi Beach shooters as key details released
Australian police have revealed a motive behind the Bondi Beach shooting last weekend.
On Sunday (14 December), gunfire was heard at a park in Bondi Beach, Australia, with video footage showing two gunmen firing from a small bridge while people ran from the beach, screaming.
Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor, have now died as a result of the shootings, which took place during the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, with police saying that the attack was 'designed to target Sydney's Jewish community'.
It has been widely reported that the attacks were carried out by a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram, with both men reportedly arriving on the scene with 'long guns', which were acquired using a legal firearms license.
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Sajid was shot dead at the scene by police, while his son was taken to the hospital, where he is currently in police custody after waking up from his coma.
And now, police have revealed more details about the alleged shooters, including a motive.
SW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed that two homemade ISIS flags were discovered in the younger man's car, as Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said: “Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son.
“There is no evidence to suggest other individuals were involved in this attack, however, we caution that this could change given it is early in our investigation. Alleged evidence has provided investigators with a swathe of information that has enabled them to make this initial assessment about the alleged individuals involved and their motivations.
“These are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation not a religion.”
It has also now been suggested by police that the two men were 'driven by Islamic state ideology' and that they even travelled to the Philippines to carry out 'military-style training', returning to Australia just one week before the shooting took place.
The country's immigration bureau confirmed their visit to the BBC; however, the military said it couldn't immediately confirm the reports of 'military-style training'.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also said that the attack appeared to be motivated by 'Islamic State ideology'.
He continued to say that the flags showed that the 'radical perversion of Islam is absolutely a problem' in not just Australia, but around the world.
"The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder," Albanese said.
Naveed Akrim had previously been investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 2019 due to alleged 'connections with two people who subsequently … went to jail', according to Albanese (via CNN).
However, the investigation concluded with 'no evidence' to suggest he had been radicalised. His father was also interviewed as part of the investigation, but also showed 'no indication of any radicalization'.
During the shooting, a heroic bystander, later revealed to be 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, attempted to take a gun away from one of the suspects, risking his life in the attempt.
He has since spoken out following his hospitalisation due to several bullet wounds, while his father revealed that his son is in 'good spirits'.
James Moorhouse