Police say Bondi shooter stopped at gun shop during Philippines trip

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Police officers are present outside the residence of suspects involved in a shooting during a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, located in Bonnyrigg, Sydney, Australia, on December 15, 2025. — Reuters

– Australian authorities are investigating whether Sajid and Naveed met with extremists in Mindanao.
– Staff at a hotel in Davao reported that the men mostly stayed in their room for 28 days.
– Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage to determine other locations visited and individuals they may have met.

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MANILA: Police revealed on Saturday that one of the two accused in the Bondi Beach shooting visited a gun shop while in the Philippines, as investigators work to track the suspects’ movements.

An Australian counter-terrorism unit is examining whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed encountered extremists during their nearly month-long trip to Mindanao before the deadly shooting that claimed 15 lives in Sydney six days earlier.

Staff at Davao City’s GV Hotel told AFP early this week that the two men remained confined to their small room for most of their 28-day stay, leaving only briefly each morning.

“From what we’ve observed, one of them visited a gun store,” said Catherine Dela Rey, a regional police spokesperson in Davao. She specified that 50-year-old Sajid Akram was the individual seen at the shop.

“CCTV footage review is ongoing, and we’re working to identify other places they visited and people they met,” she added.

Although details remain limited, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano explained on Friday that it’s unlikely the men left Davao for training purposes.

“They would go out and return within two or three hours, with the maximum being eight hours, but that’s still too short a window for them to have left the city,” he noted.

Police investigations also indicate that neither suspect visited any of Davao’s seven shooting ranges, he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos has criticized media reports suggesting the Philippines serves as a training ground for terrorists, calling such assertions misleading.

“In recent years, we have taken strong action to dismantle terrorist networks, protect communities, and maintain peace,” Marcos declared during a speech marking the 90th anniversary of the armed forces on Friday.

“Disregarding these achievements with baseless speculation is unacceptable.”