A bureaucratic slip, not a threat, delayed a gun licence for the man who killed 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Tuesday.
Gun Licence Delay
Sajid Akram, a 50-year-old father, applied for a state licence to own firearms in 2000, three years before it was granted. The normal processing time for a licence is six to ten weeks, yet Akram waited three years. Premier Minns explained that the delay was due to a “real mess in relation to the bureaucracy when it comes to gun licences and the delays related to that – not a specific threat” posed by the father.
Background on the Attack
Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram are accused of attacking hundreds of Jews celebrating Hanukkah on 14 December, in Australia’s worst mass shooting since 1996. Police allege the Akrams adhered to a “religiously motivated ideology linked to Islamic State.” During the massacre, police shot Naveed Akram in the abdomen; he was later transferred from a hospital to Sydney’s Long Bay Correctional Complex.
Proposed Gun Reforms
A wide-ranging royal commission will examine the massacre and the surge of antisemitism that began with the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. New South Wales Parliament is being asked to pass laws that Minns says will give the state Australia’s toughest gun laws. The new restrictions would make Australian citizenship a condition for a licence, which would have excluded Akram, an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Straight-Pull Guns and Licensing Limits
Experts say video of the attack shows the gunmen using straight-pull mechanisms, which allow more rapid fire than bolt-action guns. Straight-pull guns would not be available to recreational shooters such as Akram under the proposed laws. Recreational shooters would be limited to a maximum of four guns, while farmers and sports shooters could own up to ten.
Current Licence Landscape
There are currently no limits in New South Wales. One individual holds 298 guns registered in his name. A government decision to refuse a gun licence for reasons including spy-agency suspicions could no longer be appealed under the proposed reforms.
Farmers’ Opposition
Farmers’ groups have complained that ten guns won’t be enough for some. The Nationals party, which represents rural voters, opposed the proposed laws. “The NSW Nationals Parliamentary team will not be supporting the Bill that uses gun reforms as a political tool rather than addressing the real issue of antisemitism,” a party statement said.
Political Reactions
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed with Minns that six guns were too many for anyone living in suburban Sydney. “The terrible events at Bondi show that we do need more guns off our streets,” Albanese said. “There is no reason why someone living in (suburban) Bonnyrigg needs six heavy arms,” he added.
Federal Reforms and 3D-Printed Weapons
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the federal government is drafting national reforms that include a gun buy-back scheme for newly restricted weapons and new offences related to 3D-printed guns. Police allege that the day after the massacre they found 3D-printed parts for a shotgun speed loader in a room rented by Akram. A speed loader enables a shooter to place multiple cartridges into a shotgun magazine at once rather than loading them one by one.
Legal Proceedings
Naveed Akram was charged last week with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to wounded survivors, and one count of committing a terrorist act. Police shot him in the abdomen during the massacre and he remains in custody.
Victims and Ongoing Investigations
Victims’ funerals continued on Tuesday. A service for Marika Pogany, 82, was held at a Catholic church in Sydney. She was Christian, but her mother was Jewish and she was close to Sydney’s Jewish community. The health department said 12 people wounded in the attack remained in hospitals on Tuesday, including four in critical condition.
Historical Context
A gunman armed with semiautomatic rifles killed 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania in 1996, leading Australia to make major national gun reforms that drastically reduced the number of rapid-fire weapons in the community.
Key Takeaways
- A bureaucratic delay, not suspicion, caused Sajid Akram’s gun licence to be granted after three years.
- The proposed gun laws would impose stricter limits and citizenship requirements, affecting recreational and rural shooters.
- The attack, linked to an Islamic State-motivated ideology, has prompted a royal commission and federal reforms, including a buy-back scheme for restricted weapons.
The incident has reignited debates over gun control, antisemitism, and the balance between public safety and individual rights across Australia.
