Father-Son Attackers Had Six Firearms, Limited Police History Before Bondi Beach Terror Assault
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The two men who carried out Australia’s deadliest anti-Semitic attack were a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son, with the elder perpetrator holding a valid firearms license for approximately a decade despite limited knowledge of either man by intelligence agencies.
The father-and-son duo who murdered 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach Saturday had largely escaped the attention of Australian authorities, with the elder attacker maintaining a firearms license for approximately ten years while possessing six registered weapons, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon revealed Sunday.
The 50-year-old father was killed during the terrorist attack. His 24-year-old son remains in critical but stable condition at a Sydney hospital, where investigators are waiting to question him about the meticulously planned assault on the Jewish community.
“The offenders are a 50-year-old and 24-year-old male who are father and son,” Commissioner Lanyon said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the NSW Premier. “The 50-year-old is deceased. The 24-year-old is currently in hospital at the moment.”
Police executed search warrants at two locations overnight — a residence in Bonnyrig, which authorities identified as the family’s home address, and a property in Campsie where the pair had apparently been staying prior to the attack. Investigators seized the six firearms registered to the elder perpetrator.
“I’m told that he’s had a gun licence for approximately 10 years,” Commissioner Lanyon said of the deceased attacker.
The commissioner confirmed that authorities had “very limited knowledge” of either man before the attack, a revelation that has prompted immediate questions about intelligence gathering and firearms licensing procedures.
“There was no indication to indicate that either of the men involved in yesterday’s attack was planning the attack that happened yesterday,” Lanyon said. “There are many people in the community for which the police have very little knowledge about, and quite rightly so.”
The younger attacker had been known to both NSW Police and ASIO, though the commissioner described this knowledge as minimal and declined to elaborate on the circumstances.
“The younger man, he was one known to police and to ASIO,” Lanyon acknowledged. “I think I said last night, it was very limited knowledge.”
When pressed on whether the younger man had been under surveillance or on any watchlist, Lanyon deferred to the ongoing investigation.
“We want to understand the motive behind these two people,” he said. “We want to understand whether these people were further involved in any offences, but we have no history to say that’s the case.”
The attack bore hallmarks of careful planning rather than spontaneous violence, according to authorities.
“This was a planned attack. It doesn’t appear to have been something that spontaneously happened,” Commissioner Lanyon said.
The recovery of two improvised explosive devices at the scene underscored the premeditation behind the assault. While the commissioner described the bombs as “fairly basic in terms of their construction,” he noted they were active and had to be rendered safe by the bomb disposal unit.
Questions about the attackers’ ideology and potential extremist affiliations remain unanswered. Reporters noted eyewitness accounts of what appeared to be an ISIS-style flag draped over the gunmen’s vehicle, but Commissioner Lanyon declined to confirm or discuss potential terror symbols.
“We did hear last night a lot of information was coming forward. I want to make sure that it’s accurate,” Lanyon said. “Obviously, we will look at the motives behind this attack, and I think that’s really important as part of the investigation.”
Similarly, when asked whether the attackers left a manifesto or written explanation for their actions, the commissioner deferred.
“Again, that is part of the investigation. I don’t want to go into that this morning,” he said. “We want to get to the bottom of this. We want to understand the motives behind it, and we certainly want to understand the actions that have happened.”
Police have spoken with the perpetrators’ family members as part of the investigation but declined to share details of those conversations.
“We have spoken to the families,” Commissioner Lanyon confirmed, without elaborating.
The revelation that the older attacker maintained a firearms license for a decade has immediately intensified debate over gun control measures in Australia, a country that implemented strict firearms laws following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
When asked what purpose the firearms license served, Commissioner Lanyon said he did not have that information.
“What I’ve said is that he did hold a firearms license and did have six registered firearms,” he said.
The NSW Premier signaled that gun law reform would follow the investigation.
“We’re looking at that right now. Obviously, we’re in the early stages of this investigation,” the Premier said. “But I made it clear last night that we will take every step we possibly can to keep our community safe, and we’ll be looking at law reform along that route.”
Authorities emphasized they are not searching for additional direct participants in the attack but will pursue anyone who may have aided or enabled the perpetrators.
“What I’m saying very clearly is that there were two persons involved yesterday. There were two persons in this atrocity,” Commissioner Lanyon said. “We are not looking for a third person who was involved in yesterday’s incident directly.”
However, the investigation remains open to the possibility of co-conspirators or enablers.
“If there is any other person that is associated with the two offenders that we believe that was either involved or responsible for what took place, we will take appropriate action,” the commissioner added.
Investigators continue to work around the clock to piece together how the father and son planned and executed the attack, including their movements in the days and weeks prior to the assault.
“We will continue to investigate this matter thoroughly,” Commissioner Lanyon said. “It’s important for the community to have the reassurance that New South Wales Police working with our Commonwealth partners will not stop until we understand the reasons behind this senseless incident.”
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