Australia’s Prime Minister Said It Will Toughen Its Gun Laws After Gunmen Killed 15 People At Bondi Beach
“People's circumstances change, people can be radicalized over a period of time, licenses should not be in perpetuity,” Albanese said in reference to license reviews.
Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to implement tougher gun laws after two gunmen killed 15 people at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, two gunmen, a father and a son, opened fire on a Jewish gathering for the Chanukah by the Sea event to celebrate the start of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah.
The attack killed 15 people, including one of the gunmen and injured at least 40 others.
Police have declared the incident a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community, and the other shooter was taken into custody.
One of the gunmen was disarmed by a civilian, 43-year-old Ahmed El Ahmed, a father of two and a local fruit shop owner, according to Australia’s Seven News.
During a press conference on Sunday, Albanese called the mass shooting “an act of pure evil” and a “dark day in Australia’s history,” expressing his support to the Jewish community.
Albanese convened an emergency National Cabinet meeting and proposed tougher gun laws, which all state leaders agreed to, including limits to gun ownership, periodic reviews of licenses and stronger checks and balances.
“People's circumstances change, people can be radicalized over a period of time, licenses should not be in perpetuity,” Albanese said in reference to license reviews.
Australia already has one of the strictest gun laws in the world.
Authorities said the father had a valid gun license and legally owned six guns, while the son did not have a gun license.
In 1996, authorities swiftly banned most semi-automatic rifles and shotguns for civilians after a mass shooting in Port Arthur killed 35 people.
Under the new laws, Australians seeking to own a gun must pass a safety course, a written test, a practical assessment and a background check.
They must also show a valid reason for owning a gun, with self-defense not considered a valid reason.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia; this marks one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country, following one, where a man went on a rampage at a mall in Sydney and killed six people.
Cherry Mohamed
