Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Australia is once again moving toward tighter national gun laws following a terrorist mass shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left at least 15 people dead and 27 hospitalized, according to authorities.
Police have classified the December 14 attack as a targeted act of terrorism against Jewish Australians. Allegedly, it was carried out by a father-and-son pair. One suspect died in a shootout with police. The other remains hospitalized and is expected to face criminal charges.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “an act of pure evil” and quickly signaled that new firearm restrictions are coming.
“We are stronger than the cowards who did this,” Albanese said. “The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws.”
SEE ALSO: Free SBRs Are Coming! A Horrible Idea
Australia already has some of the strictest firearm regulations in the world, largely shaped by sweeping reforms enacted after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people. Those laws significantly reduced civilian gun ownership and are often cited internationally as a model for gun control.
Despite those measures, Albanese told reporters that circumstances change and that firearm licenses should not be permanent. Among the proposals he plans to bring before the National Cabinet are limits on how many firearms a licensed individual may own, periodic license reviews, and expanded authority for agencies to reassess permit holders over time.
“People can be radicalized over a period of time,” Albanese said. “Licenses should not be in perpetuity.”
This is the greatest tweet ever https://t.co/NaOFnRUL4Q
— Adam Carolla (@adamcarolla) December 14, 2025
Police have confirmed that one suspect was a licensed firearm owner and that six guns were recovered, some of which were allegedly obtained illegally.
The younger suspect was reportedly known to Australia’s domestic intelligence agency for past extremist connections, though no active red flags were said to exist prior to the attack.
SEE ALSO: Banish 12 On A Browning A5 Changed My Hunt
One detail drawing widespread attention is the role of an unarmed civilian. Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old bystander and son of Syrian refugees, was praised by officials for disarming one of the attackers. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero,” crediting his actions with saving lives.
Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87, including a Holocaust survivor who was killed while shielding his wife.
The attack has reignited national debate over antisemitism, terrorism, and whether additional gun restrictions would have altered the outcome. While Albanese credited Australia’s existing gun laws as a “proud moment of reform,” he made clear the government is prepared to go further.
“If there’s anything we can do, I’m certainly up for it,” he said.
What say you? Do you believe more regulations will meaningfully address terrorism?
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Available on GunsAmerica Now
is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
What is wrong is law enforcement agencies are not allowed to profile
I’ve only seen one news report on the firearms used by the terrorists. It identified both men used “BOLT ACTION RIFLES”. No reference to brand type or model. Heaven forbid that they were mil/surplus “weapons of war”. When the Aussie gov runs out of firearms to ban, they will start working on knife restrictions like their English parent country.
You can’t legislate against hatred and ignorance, and it took 20 minutes for the police to respond. None in the area were apparently trained for this. It was up to 4 unarmed civilians to respond, 3 of which were killed and the other got shot. If armed civilians were there the episode would have ended sooner. If maniacs want blood they will stab, run amok with a car, etc. Excessive gun laws won’t work, and the Aussies are already anti-gun nutcases. I personally know a young man who was arrested and treated like a terrorist for possessing a few demilitarized weapons for display in his apartment in Australia. The guns were incapable of being fired but he was treated like a criminal.
He’s ‘Proud’ of Australia’s draconian gun laws… Well, I dunno. To me it looks like 15 more people are dead BECAUSE OF IT!!
The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun. Perhaps if a few of those celebrators had their concealed firearm on them, something could have been done to lessen the losses.
Politicians leave their brains and common sense on the campaign trail when they move into their offices.
Your are correct that gun control did work. Nobody had any means to fight back besides throwing sand in the shooters eyes. This is one reason the Brits were kicked out of the American colonies bc of a power hungry & tyrannical king wanting to oppress. Where I live everybody owns multiple firearms & you can leave your doors unlocked. Citizens having morals or standards is the #1 crime prevention tool. Where did the morals & standards to not harm or kill go? Erosion of freedom is achieved by one chip at a time like blaming the bad deeds of one on everybody else. I still can not comprehend how politicians with a narrow minded view of screwing people over can remain in office. I do not want to be controlled by some tax sponger behind a desk who makes up laws to make their job easier or so they can feel important.
Your are correct that gun control did work. Nobody had any means to fight back besides throwing sand in the shooters eyes. This is one reason the Brits were kicked out of the American colonies bc of a power hungry & tyrannical king wanting to oppress. Where I live everybody owns multiple firearms & you can leave your doors unlocked. Citizens having morals or standards is the #1 crime prevention tool. Where did the morals & standards to not harm or kill go? Erosion of freedom is achieved by one chip at a time like blaming the bad deeds of one on everybody else. I still can not comprehend how politicians with a narrow minded view of screwing people over can remain in office. I do not want to be controlled by some tax sponger behind a desk who makes up laws to make their job easier or so they can feel important.
quote————–The younger suspect was reportedly known to Australia’s domestic intelligence agency for past extremist connections, though no active red flags were said to exist prior to the attack.———–quote
This proves the Prime Minister correct when he said they need to tighten up on gun control. This maniac should have had his guns confiscated after making such threatening statements.
In Britain a group of terrorists tried to buy shotguns for their planned massacre and were denied the permits so they then resorted to attacking a British Pub with knives. The Pub Patrons then proceeded to beat the “H” out of them with broken beer bottles and chairs. In the U.S. the terrorists would have bought all the firepower they wanted by simply buying second hand unvetted guns at a flea market or gun show and then slaughtered hundreds as took place at the Los Vegas Concert by the nut case Steven Paddock.
Gun control does indeed work and Britain proved it many times over as they have not had a school shooting since 1993 while we have school shootings every day in the U.S. the latest at Brown University. In a way even Australia’s gun control worked during this last tragedy because if the nut cases had had assault rifles with 100 round drums as are available here in the U.S. the casualty rate in Australia would have been in the hundreds, but the much lower casualty rate proved Australia’s ban on assault rifles was indeed the correct law to pass.
Everyday in the US?
I have not heard of the hundreds killed in school shootings in the US.
I guess these Australian’s don’t realize how easy it is to make explosives. That was the number one killer in Afghanistan, Improvised Explosives. That would have killed many more people. If someone wants to kill they’re going to kill.
I guess these Australian’s don’t realize how easy it is to make explosives. That was the number one killer in Afghanistan, Improvised Explosives. That would have killed many more people. If someone wants to kill they’re going to kill.
To use your own copy & pasted quote:
quote————–The younger suspect was reportedly known to Australia’s domestic intelligence agency for past extremist connections, though no active red flags were said to exist prior to the attack.———–quote
Key words here: THE YOUNGER SUSPECT. He didn’t own the firearms, his father did, so a Red Flag against him would have confiscated nothing.
Another 1 of YOUR OWN quotes:
In the U.S. the terrorists would have bought all the firepower they wanted by simply buying second hand unvetted guns at a flea market or gun show and then slaughtered hundreds as took place at the Los Vegas Concert by the nut case Steven Paddock.
For someone who thinks they are so much smarter than everyone else, you obviously don’t know that most, if not all, flea markets (at least in my state) do not allow the sale of firearms, AND sales at gun shows DO require background checks, so stop spouting deliberately misleading Leftist Media bullshit. And it’s LAS Vegas not LOS Vegas.
And ANOTHER false quote made by you:
Gun control does indeed work and Britain proved it many times over as they have not had a school shooting since 1993 while we have school shootings every day in the U.S. the latest at Brown University.
More leftist Mainstream Media brainwashing. Please show any NON-FABRICATED evidence that there is a school shooting EVERY DAY in the United States
I find it curious that you choose to call yourself dacian. An ancient Eastern European society whose religion prayed to a god associated with the underworld, and who performed rituals & sacrifices to said god. The Dacian people where also ruled by a king. Then there were the nobles, and then commoners.
Based on this, and your previous postings to this website, you seem to perceive yourself as a king, or at the very least a noble, and that we commoners must bow down to whatever belief YOU think WE should live by. That didn’t work out so well for the last king that tried to rule us…..
only thing to learn from this is gun bans don’t work!