Australian police say Bondi Beach attackers were 'operating alone', rule out broader network
There is no evidence that the two men were directed by others to carry out the attack, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said that the father and son accused of the mass shooting earlier this month at Bondi Beach in Sydney were operating alone.
There is no evidence that the two men were operating as part of a broader cell, Barrett said on Tuesday during an update on the counter-terrorism operation launched in the wake of the attack on December 14, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
In the shooting, which took place during a Hanukkah celebration, 15 people were killed and around 42 others were injured.
One of the two suspected shooters was killed, while the other was critically injured.
Twenty-four-year-old Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offences over the shooting, including 15 counts of murder.
Barrett told the media there was no evidence that Naveed and his father Sajid were directed by others to carry out the attack.
"Given impending court processes and other security matters, I can't provide all the details that we have," she added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, during the same news conference, also defended his government's decision not to hold a national royal commission into the attack despite calls to do so.
Canberra is focused on "bringing the country together," he said.