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 ISIS-inspired attack targeting a Jewish festival on December 14.
The pair travelled to the southern Philippines in the weeks before shooting, fuelling suspicions they may be linked to extremists.
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 travelled 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 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.
Gun crackdown
His 24-year-old son, Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody charged with 15 murders and a litany of other serious offences.
New Year’s Eve parties across Sydney will pause at 11pm (5pm PKT) 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.
