One of the gunmen responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting was able to acquire the shotgun used in the deadly attack because he ‘met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence’.

The disturbing admission was made by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Mr Lanyon said 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was shot dead by police at the scene, held a recreational hunting licence.

The gunman was at the centre of a massacre that killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, is in hospital under police guard and is likely to face criminal charges.

‘There are two types of hunting licences: the ability to hunt on a property or also as part of a hunting club, or gun club,’ Mr Lanyon said.

It was also revealed the shooter was a member of a gun club and had six firearms licensed to him, however, it is not yet known which gun club he was registered to. Mr Lanyon said Akram had held a Category AB licence since 2015, which entitled him to have the long-arm firearms that were used at Sunday’s attack.

National cabinet agreed to strengthen firearm controls on Monday after Anthony Albanese promised to push for tougher restrictions, marking the biggest reform to firearm laws since the Port Arthur killings almost three decades ago.

Aussies were quick to throw their support behind the proposal to clamp down on gun ownership.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said one shooter held a recreational hunting licence

Sajid Akram had held a recreational gun licence since 2015 and was a member of a gun club

‘Nobody should have a gun other than police,’ one said.

‘Yes please, how does someone living in Sydney need six firearms?’ another wrote.

‘Good to see strong leadership under such difficult times trying to unite instead of divide,’ a third added.

Among the proposed changes would be a revision to the number of guns licensed individuals are allowed to own.

Some Aussies demanded Albanese take an even stronger stance on gun reforms.

‘Limiting the number of weapons a person can own might look good, but a shooter only needs one,’ one wrote.

‘It is not the number of guns you have a licence for, it is why do you need a licence?’ a second wrote.

‘Why do you need a licence, where do you need that licence? Inner city licences should require the guns to be signed out from a secure location and returned to the same place.’

The 50-year-old gunman had six firearms licensed to him – police said they were confident they seized all six guns from the scene at Bondi

On Monday, Albanese also praised former prime minister John Howard’s landmark gun reforms, introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that claimed 35 lives.

Within two weeks of the tragedy, the Howard government announced the National Firearms Agreement, a sweeping reform between state and federal governments.

The legislation imposed strict limits on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, launched a national gun buyback program, created a firearms registry, and introduced a mandatory waiting period for gun sales.

Mr Lanyon admitted police, at this stage, know very little about the father-son duo.

It comes as Australia’s national spy agency ASIO is understood to have investigated Akram’s son soon after the arrest of a Sydney-based Islamic State terrorist in July 2019.

A senior official from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the ABC the agency began monitoring the 24-year-old after the arrest of Isaak El Matari, identified as an IS operative and self-declared Australian commander of the group.

On Monday afternoon, Mr Lanyon was asked by reporters if federal authorities had shared this information with the NSW Firearms Registry.

‘Depending on the nature of it, that’s very much under investigation. We want to understand whether the person was and, certainly by criteria, he was eligible to hold a firearms licence. We do take into account all intelligence that’s available,’ Mr Laynon said.

The terror attack has sent shockwaves around the world

Police working to control the scene at Bondi Beach after the shocking attack

Tougher gun restrictions

At Monday’s meeting of national cabinet, federal and state leaders agreed to renegotiate former prime minister John Howard’s landmark national firearms agreement.

New limits on the number of guns any one person can own, along with more frequent reviews of firearm licences and tighter restrictions on gun modifications are some of the measures being considered.

Non-citizens would be barred from holding firearm permits under the changes.

State and territory ministers also agreed to fast-track work on a national gun register, allowing police to better share information so they can track firearms across jurisdictions.

A ban on non-citizens holding gun licences is one measure being considered, along with a crackdown on imports of 3D-printed weapons.

NSW Premier Chris Minns was also asked if he held concerns that federal agencies hadn’t shared vital information with NSW Police.

He said he ‘wasn’t in a position to criticise’ within 24 hours of the attack and wouldn’t  ‘pronounce failures without the aid of an independent investigation.’

The Premier flagged he will push to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting, to ensure Sunday night’s attack can’t happen again.

‘It does require legislation. It means introducing a bill to Parliament to – to be really blunt, making it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community,’ Minns said.

‘If you’re not a farmer, you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for NSW police?’

He wouldn’t elaborate on the specifics of those gun laws.

However, he promised the public could expect action soon.

‘I understand the genuine desire to have information about how the law will change, but we’re less than 24 hours into this horrifying crime,’ Minns said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns flagged the state government would be introducing tougher gun laws to ensure an attack like this can’t happen again

‘I want to make sure that legislation and reform that we bring to Parliament makes a big difference, but that’s entirely my intention and my colleagues feel the same way.’

It’s understood these proposals could include putting limits on the number of guns that can be used by individuals and an audit of current licence-holders, as these licences can be held in perpetuity.

Minns said the government must ensure the legislation is ‘fit for purpose’ but admitted that, in doing so, firearms will be restricted from the general public.

Over 258,000 people hold firearms licences in NSW with gun numbers totalling well over 1.1 million.

A National Firearms Register is still under construction. It is expected to be operational by mid-2028.

At least 15 innocent people have died in Sunday’s attack, with dozens more receiving treatment in hospital.