BAKU — Australian police said Tuesday that the two men accused of opening fire at a Jewish celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach earlier this month acted independently and were not part of any organized militant cell, according to a Reuters report.
Authorities allege that Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, killed 15 people during a Hanukkah event on Dec. 14—Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades.
The attack shocked the nation and prompted swift reforms to the country’s already stringent gun laws.
Police had earlier said the suspects appeared to have been inspired by the Islamic State, citing homemade flags linked to the militant group that were found in their vehicle.
Investigators also focused on a month-long trip the pair made in November to Mindanao in the Philippines, a region previously affected by militant activity.
However, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said there was no evidence that the suspects received formal training or operational support during their stay in the Philippines.
“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack,” Barrett said during a news conference.
She stressed that the assessment remains preliminary and that Australian and Philippine authorities are continuing to coordinate their investigations.
“I am not suggesting that they were there for tourism,” Barrett added, referring to the Mindanao trip.
Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack. His son, Naveed, who was also wounded, was later charged with 59 offenses after regaining consciousness from a coma earlier this month.
The charges include 15 counts of murder, as well as terrorism- and explosives-related offenses. (AZERTAC)