Bondi Beach Shooting Challenges Australia's Gun Control System: Calls for Legislative Review

Two assailants launched an attack at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach on Sunday.

Following Australia's deadliest mass shooting incident in 1996, the government took just 12 days to implement a ban on semi-automatic weapons, establish a gun buyback program, and introduce a licensing system designed to identify individuals unsuitable for weapon ownership.

The shooting that occurred Sunday at a beachside Jewish event in Sydney's Bondi area, resulting in 15 fatalities plus one of the two suspects, has undermined the nation's long-held confidence in that gun control framework - considered among the world's strictest - and sparked fresh debate about its continued effectiveness.

Australia's firearm regulation system has been widely recognized for contributing to one of the world's lowest per capita gun homicide rates. However, the quantity of legally owned firearms has consistently increased over the past two decades and now, at four million, surpasses the number before the 1996 restrictions, according to research from the Australia Institute think-tank earlier this year.

The revelation that one of the Bondi suspects possessed a gun license and six registered firearms raises concerns about whether Australia should further strengthen its legislation, according to gun control organizations and researchers.

Gun Control Australia president Tim Quinn stated in a blog post about the incident, "Events like this feel unimaginable here, which is a testament to the strength of our gun laws."

He continued, "It is essential that we ask careful, evidence-based questions about how this attack occurred, including how any weapons were obtained and whether our current laws and enforcement mechanisms are keeping pace with changing risks and technologies."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed reporters on Monday, affirming that "if there is any action required in terms of legislative response, we will certainly have it."

Chris Minns, New South Wales state premier, whose jurisdiction encompasses Sydney, indicated he would consider recalling state parliament to expedite new gun legislation.

"It's time we have a change to the law in relation to the firearms legislation... but I am not ready to announce it today. You can expect action soon," Minns told reporters, without providing specifics.

NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon informed reporters that under current regulations, the license held by one of the suspects legally permitted him to own the weapons in his possession.

Premier Minns revealed that police had recommended an audit of gun licenses in Australia's most populous state, adding that "the granting of a firearms licence in perpetuity is clearly not fit for purpose".

Maya Gomez, a criminology lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology, explained that NSW gun license applicants must first demonstrate a legitimate reason for requiring a weapon.

In the wake of the Bondi incident, Gomez noted via email, "questions may turn on the genuine reason provided in terms of the amount, as well as the reasons linked to the types of guns registered and used in the attack."