Bondi Beach Massacre: How One of the Gunmen Legally Owned SIX Firearms – Including High-Powered Rifles – Under Australia’s Lax Gun Laws
- One of the shooters, Sajid Akram, had a category AB firearm licence and was entitled to an uncapped quantity of certain rifles and shotguns
- Footage shows Akram and his son armed with at least a shotgun, two precision rifles, and ammo belts, sparking outrage over Australia’s gun laws
- Australia has 4 million guns owned by 943,000 people with licences, with some individuals owning hundreds of firearms each
- State and territory leaders have agreed to strengthen Australia’s gun laws in the wake of the terror attack, including accelerating the launch of a national firearms register
The chilling reality of Australia’s lax gun laws has been exposed in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach massacre, which left 15 people dead. One of the shooters, Sajid Akram, was found to have a category AB firearm licence, entitling him to an uncapped quantity of certain rifles and shotguns. The 42-year-old was legally in possession of six guns, including high-powered rifles, which he used to carry out the attack alongside his son Naveed.
Footage of the attack shows the pair armed to the teeth with at least a shotgun, two precision rifles, and ammo belts. The video has sparked widespread outrage over Australia’s gun laws, with many calling for urgent reform. “The policy settings are creating dangerous conditions for the public,” warned the Australia Institute in a recent analysis of gun ownership.
In a shocking revelation, it has emerged that some individuals in Australia own hundreds of firearms each. “There are two individuals in inner Sydney who own over 300 firearms each,” the Australia Institute report states. This is despite the average Australian gun licensee owning 4.3 firearms each.
Forensic firearms expert Gerard Dutton has revealed that the rifle used in the attack was a variation of a “bolt-action” rifle with a “straight pull action”. This type of firearm is capable of firing cartridges quickly, but does not self-load, making it available to someone with only a basic licence.
“The firearm cannot load itself like a semi-automatic action, but the straight pull design is able to fire cartridges a little faster than a traditional bolt action design,” Mr Dutton explained. The reloading mechanism seen in the video is a design from the late 1800s, but was not common in 1996 due to the availability of semi-automatic firearms.
The NSW police commissioner has revealed that one of the gunmen was a member of a gun club and met the eligibility for a firearms licence for recreational hunting. Bolt-action rifles, and variations of them, are often used for hunting due to their high precision and long-range accuracy.
In the wake of the terror attack, state and territory leaders have agreed to strengthen Australia’s gun laws. They are exploring several changes, including accelerating the launch of a national firearms register, limiting the number of guns a single person can own and further restricting the types of weapons that are legal.
Western Australia recently implemented more restrictive gun laws, including caps on the number of weapons per licensee. The move has sparked calls for other states to follow suit. “The laws need to be changed to prevent this from happening again,” said one outraged resident.