SYDNEY ¨C A father and son accused of a mass shooting at Australia¡¯s Bondi Beach ¡°acted alone¡± and were not part of a wider terrorist cell, police said on Tuesday.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly killed 15 people in an Islamic State group-inspired attack targeting a Jewish festival on Dec. 14.
The pair traveled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before shooting, fueling suspicions they may be linked to extremists in a region with a history of Islamist insurgencies.
Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said so far this did not appear to be the case.
¡°These individuals are alleged to have acted alone,¡± she told reporters.
¡°There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out the attack.¡±
Barrett said police would continue to probe why the pair traveled to the city of Davao, where CCTV showed they barely left their budget hotel.
¡°I want to be clear. I am not suggesting they were there for tourism,¡± she said.
Police believe the duo ¡°meticulously planned¡± the attack for months, and have released pictures showing them training with shotguns in the Australian countryside.
They also recorded a video in October railing against ¡°Zionists¡± while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadi group, police have said.
Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack.
An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody charged with 15 murders and a litany of other serious offenses.
New Year¡¯s Eve parties across Sydney will pause at 11 p.m. on Wednesday for a minute of silence in memory of the victims.
Crowds will be watched over by squads of police carrying high-powered firearms, New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns said on Tuesday.
¡°That is a clear and deliberate message from the police that safety is the number one priority,¡± he told reporters.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a nationwide crackdown on gun ownership and hate speech in the wake of the attack, promising stricter laws and harsher penalties.
He has announced a sweeping buyback scheme to ¡°get guns off our streets.¡±
It is the largest gun buyback since 1996, when Australia tightened firearms laws in the wake of a mass shooting that killed 35 people at Port Arthur.
Albanese has also ordered a review of police and intelligence services.
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