Australian police have revealed details of the gunmen after a fatal shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
According to NBC News, the death toll from the shooting at the famous Australian beach on Sunday, December 14, has risen to 15, while 40 people remain hospitalised.
Police identified the two suspects as a father and son, ages 50 and 24. The father was shot dead at the scene by the officers, while the 24-year-old was admitted to the hospital after he “suffered critical injuries.”
The authorities also found that the 50-year-old suspect had the legal right to possess a firearm.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said, "He met the eligibility criteria for a firearm's license. So, the firearms licence was to be for a recreational hunting licence."
"There are two types of hunting licence: the ability to hunt on a property or also as part of a hunting club, so a gun club. He was a member of a gun club and was entitled by nature of the Firearms Act to have a firearms licence issued," he continued.
The commissioner further added that the suspect had held a firearms licence since 2015, which allowed him to own the "long arms that he had" as registered guns.
Officials declared the shooting a terrorist event “designed to target” Jewish people during an event to mark the first day of Hanukkah, which was taking place at Bondi Beach today.
Notably, Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, with over 2 million tourists visiting in 2024.
