• New South Wales parliament to convene next week to consider gun reforms, says Premier Chris Minns

ISTANBUL

Australian police charged the surviving Bondi beach shooter with 59 offenses, including terrorism and 15 counts of murder, the authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.

The investigators from New South Wales (NSW) Joint Counter Terrorism Team attended a hospital where they charged the 24-year-old suspect with 59 offences, said the police in the statement.

15 people were killed on Sunday when two suspected shooters – father and son -- opened fire along the beach in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

One of the two shooters was shot dead while other sustained critical injuries and remains admitted to the hospital.

“Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” the statement said.

“Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS (Daesh), a listed terrorist organization in Australia,” it added.

According to officials, one of the shooters -- the father -- is an Indian national who in 1998 moved to Australia where his son was born and is an Australian citizen.

The Sunday shooting made global headlines after videos emerged that a young man, Ahmed Al Ahmed, was seen pouncing upon one of the two shooters and disarming him, saving more lives from being lost.

Ahmed, originally from Syria, was shot several times in shoulder and admitted for treatment at St. George Hospital in southern Sydney.

Father of two daughters, Ahmed, 43, has been hailed as hero for his courageous act.

New South Wales to pass gun laws

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Wednesday that the regional parliament will convene next week to pass wide-ranging reforms of gun and protest laws.

“I am worried about a combustible situation and community harmony, and that's the reason we would introduce this legislation. It's begun. The drafting process has begun,” Minns told a news conference.

“We're also in the middle of discussions with stakeholder groups, particularly gun restriction groups. I'm not saying that correctly, organizations that are interested in gun safety. We're speaking with them about what they would hope to see in the legislation as well,” he added.

Australian federal government is also working to implement strengthened gun laws.