Australia's latest mass shooting has reignited calls for stricter gun laws after authorities confirmed one of the gunmen legally owned multiple firearms despite carrying out a deadly attack, The Daily Mail reported Monday.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon revealed Monday that 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police at the scene of Sunday's Bondi Beach massacre, held a valid firearms license and met all eligibility requirements under current law.
Akram possessed a recreational hunting license and was a registered member of a gun club, allowing him to legally own the shotgun used in the attack.
The shooting left 15 people dead and wounded dozens more, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Australia in decades. Akram's 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was also involved and remains hospitalized under police guard.
"There are two types of hunting licenses," Lanyon said. "One allows hunting on a property, and another allows hunting through a hunting or gun club."
He added that Akram held a Category A and B license since 2015, permitting ownership of long-arm firearms. Investigators confirmed Akram had six firearms registered in his name.
The revelation has sparked public outrage and prompted swift political action.
Australia's national cabinet agreed Monday to pursue tighter firearm controls, following a pledge from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to strengthen gun laws in what could become the most significant overhaul since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Australians flooded social media with support for stricter measures.
"Nobody should have a gun other than police," one commenter wrote. Another asked why someone living in Sydney would need six firearms. Others praised the government for showing leadership during a national tragedy.
Proposed changes include limiting the number of firearms an individual may own, increasing the frequency of license reviews, tightening rules on gun modifications, and banning non-citizens from holding gun permits. Officials are also considering cracking down on the importation of 3D-printed weapons.
Albanese also pointed to former Prime Minister John Howard's gun reforms after Port Arthur, when 35 people were killed.
Those reforms introduced the National Firearms Agreement, which restricted automatic and semi-automatic weapons, launched a national gun buyback, established firearms registries, and imposed mandatory waiting periods.
Authorities acknowledged they still know little about the father-son pair. Australia's domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, reportedly reviewed Naveed Akram in 2019 following the arrest of an Islamic State-linked suspect in Sydney.
It remains unclear whether that intelligence was shared with New South Wales firearms authorities.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would push for legislative changes to prevent another tragedy, while cautioning against premature conclusions.
"I won't pronounce failures without an independent investigation," Minns said.
He argued that civilians without agricultural needs should not have access to powerful firearms that endanger the public and police.
More than 258,000 people hold firearms licenses in New South Wales, accounting for more than 1.1 million registered guns.
A long-delayed National Firearms Register is still under construction and is not expected to be operational until mid-2028.
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