News conference took a very different tone todaypublished at 03:12 GMT
Katy Watson
Reporting from Bondi
There was a very different tone to today’s news conference – reporters clamouring to ask questions after a series of pretty significant developments in the investigation.
The press conference itself was delayed. The prime minister likely racing back from visiting “hero” Ahmed al Ahmed, who was filmed wrestling one of the gunmen.
When it finally started, he was standing alongside NSW Premier Chris Minns, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett.
Lanyon confirmed the two gunmen visited the Philippines, but didn’t give much more detail than that. And it was confirmed that both improvised explosive devices and Islamic State group flags had been found in the car of the younger gunman.
That seemed to unleash far more questions, urgently shouted out from the reporters but the authorities offered little information beyond the basics.
Every time they answered a question, it was followed up by several more. Those at the podium at times struggled to answer them fully before the next issue was asked of them.
Many of the questions centred around around the police response and the government’s approach to tackling antisemitism.
It’s early days in the investigation – that much the authorities admitted – but there’s a sense of urgency to get to the bottom of how this attack was masterminded.
