Australian PM says no evidence to suggest Bondi Beach shooters were part of a cell
Bondi Beach shooting: He also confirmed that police are not investigating the involvement of a third person in the shooting.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said authorities believe the two gunmen involved in the Bondi Beach attack acted independently and were not part of a larger extremist network.
"There’s no evidence of collusion, no evidence that these people were part of a cell," Albanese told Australian broadcaster ABC, adding that the attackers were "clearly" motivated by "extremist ideology."
He also confirmed that police are not investigating the involvement of a third person in the shooting.
However, he said that "a range of IEDs [improvised explosive device]" were found inside the attackers’ car.
Follow here for live updates
Australian PM on shooters' motives
Addressing questions about the younger shooter, identified by local media as Naveed Akram, Albanese said he was not on any counter-terrorism watchlist.
He added that the alleged attacker had been investigated in 2019 over his connections to two individuals who were later jailed.
According to Albanese, the six-month investigation at the time found no evidence that the attacker was planning or contemplating any act of violence or antisemitism.
He said more information was expected to emerge as police continue their active investigation.
Also Read | ‘Done swimming, going to eat now’: What ‘good boy’ Naveed told mother before launching Sydney Bondi Beach attack
Australian police on shooters and firearms
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the father was licensed to own six long-arm firearms and was a gun club member who had held a firearms permit for about a decade.
Police believe all six weapons have been recovered from the scene.
Following a meeting of the National Cabinet, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook would jointly lead and coordinate efforts to strengthen gun control measures across jurisdictions.
As an immediate step, the federal government will begin work on tighter customs restrictions covering firearms and other weapons-related imports, including 3D printing and emerging technologies, as well as equipment capable of holding large quantities of ammunition, according to a Bloomberg report.
According to New South Wales Health, 27 people remained hospitalised as of 5 pm local time on Monday, with around a dozen in critical condition.
