The tragic shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 innocent people dead and 25 injured, has ignited a fierce transatlantic debate over gun control. In the aftermath, proponents of America's gun lobby have controversially claimed the attack could have been stopped sooner if Australians were armed, a stance met with fury and derision from many Australians.
American Gun Advocates Blame Australian Legislation
As Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese moves to introduce even tougher firearm restrictions, voices from the United States have pointed to the country's existing strict laws as a cause of the tragedy. The attack, allegedly carried out by 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed at a 'Chanukah by the Sea' event, lasted several minutes before police intervened.
Right-wing podcast host Matt Walsh told his 3.34 million YouTube subscribers that the outcome would have been different under a more permissive regime. "There were a thousand people on the beach nearby. One of them, if anyone was allowed to own handguns, they would have shot these terrorists or at least forced them to retreat," he argued, calling it "simple logic: good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns."
This perspective was echoed by other US commentators on social media platform X. One user asserted that Australia's disarmament of its citizens left people "with no way to protect themselves," while Texas-based commentator Gunther Eagleman stated the attack, involving legally owned firearms, was proof the US must never relinquish its Second Amendment rights.
Australian Fury and a Stark Statistical Rebuttal
The American commentary was met with swift and angry condemnation from Australians. Academic Dr Jennifer Wilson blasted the US voices as "insane and dumb American gun crazies." In a scathing rebuke, she highlighted the contrasting political responses to mass shootings: "In Australia, we don't react with 'thoughts and prayers'... First thing our Prime Minister does is signal a tightening of gun laws."
Locals also countered with stark statistics. One pointed out that it has taken the United States just one year to amass more gun-related homicides than Australia has had in nearly 30 years since the landmark Port Arthur reforms. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the US has suffered at least 391 mass shootings in 2024 alone, resulting in over 325 deaths and 1,775 injuries. Since 2014, nearly 5,500 such incidents have been recorded.
Critics also noted the grim irony of the attackers' legal status. The elder gunman held a recreational hunting licence, was a gun club member, and legally owned six firearms, including the shotgun used in the attack, having "met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence."
Australia's Path to Tighter Firearm Controls
In direct response to the Bondi attack, Australian state and federal leaders have agreed to pursue the most significant tightening of national gun laws since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The proposed reforms, championed by PM Albanese, include:
- New limits on the number of firearms a single person can own.
- More frequent reviews of firearm licences.
- Tighter restrictions on gun modifications and imports of 3D-printed weapons.
- Barring non-citizens from holding firearm permits.
A critical part of the plan is the fast-tracking of a national gun register, due to be operational by mid-2028, which will allow police across different jurisdictions to seamlessly track firearms. This builds on the legacy of the National Firearms Agreement implemented after Port Arthur, which banned automatic and semi-automatic weapons and initiated a large-scale gun buyback scheme.
The debate underscores a profound cultural and political divide. While some in the US view firearm ownership as a fundamental right essential for self-defence, the prevailing Australian ethos, reinforced by decades of effective policy, views widespread gun ownership as a profound risk to public safety. The Bondi tragedy has only hardened this resolve, setting Australia on a course for further restriction as the transatlantic argument rages on.
