Bondi shooting gunman Sajid Akram held gun licence, used six firearms in attack
“Whether it’s destructive, horrible acts of violence, or chants, mottos and internet posts. Wherever it is, we need to fight antisemitism, it is toxic, it is cancerous within a community, and as you can see from last night, it leads to devastating, devastating implications for the people of our country.”
Akram is a recently unemployed bricklayer, who told family he was going on a fishing trip for the weekend. Police have swarmed Akram’s Bonnyrigg home and a Campsie short-term rental where the father and son had been staying.
Police also found several improvised explosive devices in a car on Campbell Parade, which runs parallel to the beach. The car is linked to one of the shooters.
The first victim to be identified was 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a father of four who recently welcomed a baby. A 27-year-old French national, Dan Elkayam, was also killed in the attack.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has received criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused him of failing to take a tough stance on antisemitism.
Albanese did not respond directly, but said it was a time for national unity.
“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations,” he said.
“It is forever tarnished by what occurred last evening.”
On Monday morning Albanese visited Bondi Beach to lay flowers at the Bondi Pavilion. He also visited officers at the nearby police station.
NSW Police Operation Shelter will put officers on the ground at Jewish places of worship and schools to protect the community in the wake of the attack. Operation Arques, a joint counterterrorism investigation, will be investigating the attack.
Police are not looking for any other persons of interest.
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