A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
On a warm Sunday evening in Sydney, Australia, people were celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on a beach. That is when two gunmen opened fire.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Today, police say they have some information about the suspects accused of killing at least 15 people. They're described as a father and son, shown making a sustained assault that lasted until police shot them.
MARTÍNEZ: Journalist Kristina Kukolja is following events from Melbourne. Kristina, what's it been like there since the attack took place?
KRISTINA KUKOLJA: Good morning. It's a difficult time for Australia's Jewish community and the country as a whole. We've seen grief expressed for those killed and hurt and public expressions of support for those affected. New South Wales police released some more information about the father and son who allegedly carried out the attack. The father was 50 years old and was killed by police officers at the scene. His 24-year-old son is in hospital recovering from critical injuries. Police say he will likely face criminal charges. Police quickly designated the incident a terror attack, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come out again to condemn the violence.
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PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores.
KUKOLJA: And that declaration of an act of terrorism means additional powers have now been given to police to investigate.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, what is known so far about the victims?
KUKOLJA: Still very little at this stage. It's only been about 24 hours since the shooting, and information is emerging very slowly. Police say those who were killed are yet to be formally identified. They believe their ages range between 10 and 87 years. That includes a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor. They say dozens more were hospitalized, some of whom are in critical condition, and two police officers who sustained gunshot wounds are also in hospital. The New South Wales government has warned the death toll could still rise.
Now, stories are also emerging of passersby who helped shelter people fleeing the beach when the attack broke out. Prime Minister Albanese acknowledged the bravery of one civilian in particular. He was seen in a video widely shared on social media wrestling a weapon off one of the alleged shooters. Albanese identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed and said his actions came at great risk to him. He confirmed that he suffered serious injuries and is undergoing surgery in hospital.
MARTÍNEZ: Any motives for the shooters that we know of?
KUKOLJA: The police haven't said specifically so. They've only said that the investigation is ongoing. Police say the father held a valid weapons permit for several years. They added that the son had come to the attention of Australia's domestic intelligence agency in 2019, but they assessed that he didn't represent a threat to commit violence at that time.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, mass shootings tend to eventually spark conversations around gun laws. Is that happening in Australia right now?
KUKOLJA: Yes, it very much is. Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a meeting with leaders of Australia's states and territories, and they were briefed on the Bondi investigation. Australia already has some of the world's strictest gun laws after a mass shooting in Tasmania in the 1990s. But ahead of today's meeting, the prime minister said there's a need for even tougher laws after the Bondi attack. Some of what he mentioned briefly was looking at limiting the number of guns people can be licensed for and a possible review of how long licenses can be held. Now, the leaders have issued a joint statement agreeing to work on strengthening Australia's gun laws.
MARTÍNEZ: That's reporter Kristina Kukolja in Melbourne. Thank you very much.
KUKOLJA: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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