SYDNEY (FN) — Australian authorities allege that the Bondi Beach gunmen who killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration threw improvised explosives at the start of their assault and had practiced tactical shooting weeks before the massacre. The revelations, contained in police affidavits and court documents, have intensified scrutiny of the nation’s gun laws and prompted the largest firearm reforms in nearly three decades.
Police say Sajid Akram, 48, and his son Naveed, 24, meticulously planned the December attack, recording a video manifesto in front of an Islamic State flag and rehearsing with shotguns in rural New South Wales. Investigators recovered footage of the pair moving tactically and firing weapons, as well as evidence of improvised explosive devices — including one described as a “tennis ball bomb” — that were hurled into the crowd but failed to detonate.
The assault left 15 dead and more than 40 injured, including two police officers. Victims ranged from children to elderly worshippers, among them a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police during the attack, while his son was wounded, hospitalized, and later transferred to prison. Naveed now faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “Australia’s darkest day since Port Arthur,” referencing the 1996 massacre that killed 35 people and led to landmark gun control legislation. In response, Albanese announced a sweeping national gun buyback program, the largest since Port Arthur, aimed at removing surplus, newly banned, and illegal firearms from circulation.
New South Wales has already introduced a cap of four firearms for recreational shooters, after it emerged that Sajid Akram legally owned six high-powered rifles. Officials say the reforms are designed to close loopholes in the National Firearms Agreement, which despite strict regulation has allowed a growing number of guns in private hands. State and territory leaders unanimously agreed to strengthen licensing rules and consider import restrictions.
Authorities are also expanding police powers to shut down unauthorized protests and proposing tougher hate speech laws. Slogans such as “globalize the intifada” could be banned under new legislation, which officials argue is necessary to prevent extremist incitement. The measures have sparked debate over civil liberties, with critics warning of potential overreach.
Security operations have intensified across Sydney, with police arresting seven men in separate raids after intelligence suggested they were planning another violent act. Jewish communities have received increased police protection around synagogues and cultural centers, particularly during religious events. Albanese pledged that “every Australian has the right to worship in peace and safety.”
The attack has also reignited tensions between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups in Australia. Mass rallies have continued in Sydney and Melbourne, despite warnings from authorities. Some activists accuse the government of using the tragedy to suppress dissent, while Jewish leaders say officials failed to act sooner against rising hostility.
Experts note that Australia’s reforms echo the sweeping changes after Port Arthur, which dramatically reduced mass shootings. Yet they caution that extremists may still find illegal channels to obtain weapons. “Reducing availability lowers risk, but ideology remains the driver,” said one counterterrorism analyst.
Internationally, Australia’s new measures stand out in comparison to gun control models in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., where the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, mass shootings remain frequent despite incremental reforms at the state level. Federal buyback programs are rare, and ownership limits like Australia’s four-gun cap would be politically unthinkable. By contrast, the U.K. enacted sweeping bans on handguns after the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, leaving only tightly regulated sporting rifles and shotguns in private hands. Australia’s approach now moves closer to Britain’s restrictive model, while diverging sharply from America’s permissive framework. Analysts say the Bondi reforms highlight how democracies balance civil liberties with public safety in profoundly different ways.
A national day of reflection has been scheduled to honor the victims of the Bondi attack. For many Australians, the tragedy has underscored both the fragility of public safety and the enduring need for vigilance against radicalization. As Albanese put it, “We must finish the job we began nearly 30 years ago — ensuring that weapons of war have no place in our communities.”
