Mass shootings are an uncommon occurrence in Australia, primarily due to comprehensive firearm reforms introduced in 1996. Let’s explore the workings of these laws and identify existing gaps.
SYDNEY — Australia is currently reeling from one of its most tragic shootings in nearly 30 years, following an incident where at least 11 individuals were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.
In the aftermath, police neutralized one shooter, while another suspect was apprehended and is in critical condition. The attack resulted in injuries to at least 29 people, including two police officers.
This tragic event unfolded at one of Australia’s iconic beaches, which was packed with thousands of people enjoying the end of a summer day. Authorities have classified the incident as a terrorist attack, noting that the gathering was part of a “Chanukah by the Sea” event, marking the beginning of the eight-day Jewish festival.
“This attack was intended to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” stated New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.
Australia’s stringent gun laws are often credited for the rarity of mass shootings in the country. Here’s what you need to know about these regulations.
What to know about gun laws in Australia
Australia dramatically tightened its firearm regulations after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, when a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania. Within days, the federal government and all states agreed to the National Firearms Agreement, a sweeping reform that reshaped gun ownership nationwide.
The agreement banned many types of firearms, including semiautomatic rifles and pump-action shotguns, and introduced a mandatory gun buyback program. More than 650,000 firearms were surrendered and destroyed. It also created strict licensing requirements, mandatory background checks, a 28-day waiting period for purchases and limits on who can own a gun, including a ban on licenses for those under 18.
In the decade after Port Arthur, Australia recorded zero mass shootings with four or more victims. But while mass shootings in the country are rare, they’ve been proven to not be impossible.
Many incidents over the years have involved family violence or were isolated attacks. Gun ownership is tightly regulated, and firearms are generally restricted to specific purposes such as hunting, farming or sport shooting.
Still, experts say cracks exist. While the National Firearms Agreement remains in place, the Australia Institute indicates that parts of it, including a fully unified national gun registry, have never been fully implemented. Gun laws also still vary by state, creating gaps in oversight.
Gun safety advocates have warned that the total number of firearms in Australia has quietly risen in recent years. There are now more than 4 million guns in the country, which is 25% more than at the time of the 1996 massacre, according to a report by the Australia Institute published earlier this year. They attribute the amount to inconsistent regulation and the rise of 3D-printed firearms.
Police have not yet said how the suspects in the Bondi Beach attack obtained their weapons, or whether the guns were legally owned. Authorities are examining suspicious items found in one suspect’s vehicle, including improvised explosive devices, and have confirmed that at least one of the attackers was known to security services, though no specific threat had been identified beforehand.
Recent mass shootings in Australia
A farmer shot his wife and three children near Lockhart in New South Wales state before killing himself.
Three people died when police stormed the Lindt Café in Sydney, where an Iranian-born self-styled cleric had taken 18 people hostage. The dead included hostage-taker Man Monis, shot by police, a hostage hit by fragments of a police bullet, and one who was shot by Monis.
A farmer killed six family members before turning a gun on himself in Western Australia state.
A man who was out on parole fatally shot four men and wounded a woman in the northern Australian city of Darwin.
Six people died in a gunbattle at a rural property in Wieambilla, Queensland state. Two police officers were shot and killed by extremist Christian conspiracy theorists; the three shooters and one of their neighbors were shot dead by police.
Gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah ceremony at Bondi Beach, killing at least 11 in what authorities called a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
