Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the morning of the 15th local time, Australian Prime Minister Barnes, the Premier of New South Wales, and the Police Commissioner held a press conference regarding the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney on the 14th. The shooting has so far resulted in 16 deaths, and the identities of the two gunmen have been confirmed.
Shooting Leaves 16 Dead, 42 Injured
New South Wales Premier Chris Mings reported on the casualties. Mings stated that the incident has resulted in 16 deaths, including one gunman, and 42 people are receiving treatment in hospital.
He stated that all possible measures will be taken to ensure community safety, including considering amending gun laws to achieve this goal.
Australia is a country where citizens can legally own guns. It also has relatively strict legal control and supervision mechanisms, such as gun registration management and background checks for gun owners. However, gun laws vary from state to state and territory to territory. It is understood that the gunman in this shooting possessed six guns, all of which were licensed.
The two gunmen are father and son.
The New South Wales Police Commissioner stated at a press conference that the two gunmen are father and son.
The father, 50, died in a shootout with police on the 14th. He possessed a 10-year firearms license and six legal firearms, all of which have been seized by police.
The son, 24, is seriously injured and receiving treatment in hospital.
Police found two "basic explosive devices" at the gunmen's Sydney home; the explosives were not detonated. Furthermore, police believe there is no third suspect.
Australian Prime Minister: National Flags to be flown at half-mast in mourning
Australian Prime Minister Albanese stated at a press conference that the attack was "an act of pure evil." Albanese said the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) are working closely with New South Wales authorities, and the government will dedicate every resource to the investigation.
He also stated that national flags will be flown at half-mast across Australia on the 15th in mourning.
Fruit Stall Owner Bravely Disarms Gunman
△Screenshot from video footage of the incident
At a press conference the previous day, New South Wales Premier John Mince thanked the brave individuals who intervened at the scene. Video footage from the shooting shows a passerby successfully disarming a gunman.
The man in white who fought off the gunman and successfully disarmed him is identified as Ahmed Ahmed, a Sydney fruit stall owner with two children. He was injured in the subsequent shooting and has undergone surgery in hospital.
Australian Prime Minister Barnes paid tribute to all the brave rescue workers and ordinary citizens who stepped forward, praising their courage and demonstrating the most valuable qualities of the Australian spirit.
Australia's Deadliest Mass Shooting Since 1996
On the evening of the 14th, thousands of people were attending a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach. Two suspects, armed with long guns, opened fire on the crowd from a nearby bridge, firing dozens of rounds and causing significant casualties. Australian Prime Minister Barnes said that evening that it was a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community, "shocking and heartbreaking."
This was the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which left 35 people dead. The Port Arthur attack prompted fundamental reforms to comprehensive gun control in Australia.
