MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An investigation into two men accused of shooting and killing 15 people on a Jewish holiday in Sydney has expanded to the Philippines and has found no evidence that they were members of a “broader terrorist organization,” police said Tuesday.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Sydney residents Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, spent much of November in Davao City in the southern Philippines.
They returned from Manila by flight on November 29. Two weeks later they were accused of killing 15 people and injuring 40 others in a Hanukkah mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
Barrett said the Philippine National Police determined that the two rarely left the hotel during their visit.
“There is no evidence that they received training or logistical preparations for the alleged attack,” Barrett told reporters.
Barrett added: “These individuals are accused of acting alone. There is no evidence that these alleged offenders are part of a wider terrorist organization or were directed by others to carry out the attacks. However, I want to be clear that I am not saying that they are here for tourism.”
Barrett did not elaborate on the motivations for the visit, which began on November 1.
Police said the pair were inspired by the Islamic State group. The southern Philippines has attracted a handful of foreign fighters aligned with the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda, engaged in separatist conflicts involving minority Muslims in the predominantly Catholic country.
Barrett said she was limited in what information she could reveal about the Philippine investigation because she did not want to jeopardize Navid Akram’s trial.
He has yet to plead to dozens of charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of a terrorist act. Police shot Bundy in the abdomen during a shootout on Dec. 14, and he spent a week in the hospital before being transferred to jail. Police shot and killed his father in Bondi.
Authorities have promised the largest ever police presence on New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney Harbor on Wednesday. More than 2,500 police officers will be on duty. Many people openly carry automatic rifles, a rare sight on Sydney’s streets.
The first police officers involved in the Bundy Massacre were armed with Glock pistols, which were less lethal than Akram rifles and shotguns. Among the injured were two police officers.
New South Wales Premier Chris Mings said the state would not adopt a more militarized police force in response to the attack.
“Given that last month we just experienced the worst terrorism incident in Australia’s history, it goes without saying that things need to change and security needs to change,” Mings said.
“I know there will be some people who are opposed to this, or who think it’s a militarization of the police. My sense is that more families would fully support this kind of police action because they would feel safer in that environment,” Minns added.
Every year more than one million revelers gather on the waterfront to watch the world-famous fireworks display centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Mings said he worries any reduction in crowd sizes will be viewed as a victory by extremists.
“It’s an opportunity to thumb your nose at terrorists and their ideology, which really puts us in a ball instead of celebrating this beautiful city. So it’s an opportunity to live your life and rebel against that ideology,” Minns said.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said a minute’s silence will be observed for the Bundy victims at 11pm on Wednesday, when four images of Jewish menorahs, known as menorahs, will be projected on the bridge towers.
Local government authorities had originally planned to project an image of a dove with the word “peace” but changed that plan after consultations with Jewish representatives.
“I will continue to listen to the community to ensure that recognition of the horrific attack on Bondi Beach on New Year’s Eve is appropriate,” Moore said in a statement.
