A significant administrative lapse allowed the man alleged to have carried out the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach to obtain a firearm licence despite longstanding concerns about his family’s connections to extremist activity.

Authorities confirmed that the licence held by 50-year-old Sajid Akram — who was fatally shot by police during the attack that killed fifteen people during a Hanukkah celebration — was granted after an unusually protracted process, not because his application raised formal security alarms.

The licence application, submitted in 2020, was only approved in 2023, three years later than typical wait times of six to ten weeks.

Public officials acknowledged that the delay was a bureaucratic mishap rather than a deliberate vetting of suspected risk factors, including the fact that Akram’s son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, had been investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency in earlier years for alleged extremist links.

There was no formal mechanism to integrate intelligence reporting into the state firearms registry’s licensing assessments, a gap that has intensified scrutiny of the country’s firearms controls.

The revelations have amplified national debate about existing gun laws, long held up as stringent but now seen as containing procedural gaps that may have contributed to the tragic outcome.

In response, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and federal leaders pledged some of the most comprehensive gun law reforms in decades.

Proposed changes include limiting the number of guns a licensed person may own, restricting licences to Australian citizens, eliminating the right to appeal licence denials based on intelligence considerations, and establishing a national firearms register.

These measures would mark a major overhaul of the framework originally introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

The government’s proposed reforms have attracted both support and opposition.

Farmers and rural political representatives argue that new caps on firearms could hinder legitimate use, while other critics caution that enforcing and modernizing existing laws may be as crucial as introducing new ones.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underscored that the massacre, which authorities describe as an antisemitic terrorist act, demonstrates the need for stronger public safety protections and fewer guns in civilian hands.

Meanwhile, a royal commission has been announced to examine systemic failings in licensing, intelligence sharing, and broader domestic security systems.

Naveed Akram, who survived the attack after being shot by police, faces numerous charges, including multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and alleged terrorist offences.

The crackdown on procedural failings is unfolding alongside ongoing funerals and hospital care for victims still recovering from the tragedy.