Alleged Bondi Shooters Operated Solo and Received No Training in the Southeast Asian Nation, Police Confirm.
The pair of accused gunmen responsible for the fatal incident at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, resulting in 15 lives, appear to have operated independently, according to Australian police.
Authorities also confirmed that Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram travelled to the Philippines on 1 November. Their travel plans involved landing in the main city Manila before transiting on the day of arrival to Davao City. The father and son flew back to Sydney on 29 November.
No Evidence of Training During Trip
Investigators assert the pair did not partake in any type of attack-related training or "organizing" during their visit in the Philippines. Initial investigations from local authorities suggest they "rarely left" their accommodation.
The incident—declared Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996—has been formally declared a terrorist incident.
"We are actively analyzing the evidence," the commissioner stated, explaining that preliminary evaluations show that "the two men are alleged to have operated independently."
National law enforcement Chief Krissy Barrett told media on Tuesday that CCTV footage tracking the accused attackers' whereabouts in the Philippines had been provided to Australian investigators.
"There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were members of a wider terrorist cell, or were instructed by external parties to execute an act of violence," she emphasized.
But, the pair were likewise not necessarily in the Philippines for tourism, she noted. She emphasized that, since the inquiry is ongoing, additional details might come to light.
Motivation and Legal Charges
In prior statements, the nation's leader Anthony Albanese said it seems both accused attackers were "motivated by Islamic State" ideology.
During the incident, Sajid Akram was fatally shot by responding officers. He and his son Naveed—reportedly carrying rifles—are accused of having opened fire on participants at the Jewish festival celebration.
Naveed Akram, who was hospitalised after the shooting, has been formally accused of 59 offences. These encompass 15 charges of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. He is scheduled to face court in April.
Travel Particulars
In the days following the shooting, immigration officials in the Philippines stated that the father had entered the country using an foreign passport, while his younger suspect used an domestic passport.
The two had stated the metropolis of Davao as their final destination. Their scheduled return flight to Australia was for Sydney.
Davao is a sprawling city on the east of Mindanao, the Philippines' main southern island. The region is known because, Islamist fighters have reportedly be active in less developed parts of southern and western Mindanao.
