ASIO boss Duncan Lewis last month: “I have absolutely no evidence to suggest there is a connection between refugees and terrorism.”
The Somali killer behind the Brighton siege last night: “This is for al-Qaeda.”
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadly hostage drama, saying the gunman was ‘one of its soldiers’.
His identity: “Khayre was also born in Mogadishu, in 1987, and came to Australia in 1994 via a Kenyan refugee camp.”
His background: “Khayre was charged and later acquitted over a terror plot to launch a suicide attack against Sydney’s Holsworthy army barracks in 2009.”
The terrorist was shot dead by police after another man was found murdered, a woman was held hostage and Brighton was plunged into lockdown for two horrific hours.
Three police from the special operations group were injured in a gunfight which brought the Bay St apartment complex siege to an end.
Let’s discuss the links between refugees and terrorism again, shall we, but this time without the spin and the denialism.
To repeat, we have imported a danger and we must close the gates to more.
VICTORIA’S Police Commissioner said investigators would probe whether the terror gunman who shot dead an apartment worker and took an escort hostage in Brighton last night was trying to lure police into a deadly ambush.
Mr Ashton said the gunman – confirmed to be Yacqub Khayre, as revealed last night by the Herald Sun, was from Roxburgh Park and lived with his mother.
Islamic State is claiming responsibility for the deadly hostage drama, about 11km southeast of Melbourne CBD, saying the gunman was ‘one of its soldiers’.
Here’s how it went down:
- Yacqub Khayre exits serviced apartment building and opens fire at police. He is shot dead by police shortly before 6pm
- TWO police officers taken to hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Another officer treated at scene
- HOW IT UNFOLDED
- POLICE receive report of explosion at Bay St, Brighton apartment just after 4pm
- WOMAN calls 000 at 4.11pm stating there’s a hostage situation and a dead man
- POLICE arrive at scene and locate body of man in foyer, appears fatally shot
- IT is alleged man calls Channel Seven stating “this is for IS”
- ADDITIONAL police resources are called
- POLICE cordon of the area, roads are closed and a local swimming pool evacuated
- MAN exits serviced apartment building and opens fire at police. He is shot dead by police shortly before 6pm
- TWO police officers taken to hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Another officer treated at scene
LATEST: VICTORIA’S Police Commissioner said investigators would probe whether the terror gunman who shot dead an apartment worker and took an escort hostage in Brighton last night was trying to lure police into a deadly ambush.
Islamic State is claiming responsibility for the deadly hostage drama, about 11km southeast of Melbourne CBD, saying the gunman was ‘one of its soldiers’.
But Mr Ashton said there was little evidence the incident was planned or co-ordinated with anyone else.
The man killed in the foyer of the Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Bay St worked there.
He was an Australian national of Chinese origin. He was not named as police were still trying to inform relatives.
Mr Ashton said the gunman – confirmed to be Yacqub Khayre, as revealed last night by the Herald Sun, was from Roxburgh Park and lived with his mother.
He came out of the apartments with a shotgun and fired at police. Two officers were injured in the hand, one in the neck.
“Fortunately they are OK,” Mr Ashton said.
“Two of them are currently now at hospital.
“One was treated at the scene and are still going under medical treatment.
“They are non-life-threatening which is what we’re grateful about.”
Mr Ashton added: “Nothing thus far will suggest to us that this was planned or done in concert with others.
Mr Ashton, asked if he believed the gunman lured police to ambush and kill officers, said: “Look, it’s a possibility.
“We don’t know whether that was the case.
“Certainly a booking was made to see an escort at the premises.
“He’s then turned up at the premises with a firearm, that’s all been weighed into the calculations but we haven’t found anything like a note or any comment around that we’ve found so far.
“Now, it’s early days.
“There’s search warrants being done.
“We’ve got computers and electronical items seized to go through.
“The AFP will assist us in that.
“It’s just too early to know how random this was in terms of whether it was something that he was planning or thinking about, whether police were the target or he’s seized the opportunity he thought was presented to him last evening.”
Gunman faced court over terror plot
Shots leave confused residents in shock
Timeline of the Brighton hostage drama
And asked whether there was a genuine link with IS, Mr Ashton said: “Look, we’re aware of, online, them having claimed responsibility, but then they always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens so, we note that that has happened but he’s also made statements last night around al-Qaeda.”
Mr Ashton said it was a “dangerous and volatile situation”.
“We deal with situations on a siege basis a lot but this was a very dangerous situation and required immediate action and that’s what we saw last night.”
Premier Daniel Andrews praised police this morning.
“What is beyond question in this incident and at all times is the professionalism, bravery, courage and effectiveness of our specialist police forces in this state,” he said.
“But be in no doubt the special operations group and others last night have put themselves in harm has way to keep the rest of us safe and that’s something that we should honour and it’s something that we should value.”
Asked if he was concerned by the fact the gunman was on parole, Mr Andrews responded: “Well, I would make the point that he had served significant jail term and become eligible for parole at a later point than he might have hoped because his sentence had been increased because of poor behaviour.
“This is the advice I have, terrible behaviour in prison.
“He’s been compliant, including drug tests, attending appointments and observing a curfew.
“That’s the information that I have to this point.”
The gunman at the centre of the siege was known to counter-terrorism investigators and was on parole.
IS this morning blamed the attack on Australia’s membership in the US-led coalition against the militant group.
“The attack in Melbourne, Australia was carried out by a soldier of the Islamic State in response to the call for targeting the subjects of the coalition states,” the group’s Amaq news agency said.
Mr Ashton said the female hostage was an escort who had been booked by the gunman.
“Obviously (she’s) severely traumatised by what’s happened and that’s very understandable in those circumstances, as you can well imagine,” he said.
“But in terms of physical injury, she wasn’t physically injured by the offender but certainly kept in the apartment against her will.”
The woman spent the night at a bayside police station.
Three police from the Special Operations Group were injured in the gunfight which ended with the suspect’s death.
The siege is being officially treated as a terror incident.
A man who called the Channel Seven newsroom in Melbourne during the siege said ‘this is for IS (Islamic State)’ and ‘this is for al-Qaeda’.
Channel 7 chief of staff Nicole Bland, who took the call, told 3AW this morning that initially an extremely distressed woman was on the phone who she could not understand.
Then a man took over and said “this is the Brighton hostage” before naming IS and al-Qaeda.
The call came after the weekend London outrage in which terrorists shouted “this is for Allah” as they killed seven people.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said last night: “The male exited one serviced apartment and began firing at our members.
“Our members have then returned fire which resulted in the male being fatally shot.”
Witness Lee Griffin said tactical police hid behind rubbish bins before firing the fatal rounds.
“I heard an initial shot and then a wave of police arrived and that’s when the next shots
occurred,” Mr Griffin said.
“I saw police shoot the guy. It was terrifying.”
Moments later, officers freed the woman who had been held captive.
The three police wounded suffered injuries described as not life-threatening.
Two were taken to hospital and one was treated at the scene.
Premier Daniel Andrews was last night briefed by police.
“Victoria Police sacrifice so much to keep us safe,” he tweeted.
“They’ve shown that again tonight.
“Thoughts are with those injured and their colleagues.”
The Herald Sun has been told Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was also briefed last night and was expected to make a dawn flight to Canberra to be further briefed on security.
Mr Ashton and Mr Crisp were called away from a function to be at the Brighton scene.
A major police presence, including specialist tactical officers, remains at the scene this morning.
Neighbours reported hearing more than 20 gunshots in the area and police ordered everyone in the area to head to Coles supermarket.
The first police on the scene arrived to find a body in the foyer of the apartment block.
Witness Ben Vieth was standing on his balcony about 150m from the scene when gunfire erupted just after 6pm.
“Next minute we heard the machine gun go off,’’ he said.
“It was absolutely terrifying. It went for probably three or four seconds — just constant fire.
“The police were just screaming at people to run and take cover.
“People were just ducking and running. I was just in shock — I couldn’t stand up. It was full on.
“The noise was just deafening.
“It wasn’t a couple of shots.
“It sounded like 20 or 30 shots.”
As soon as the machine gun went off four ambulances sped to the scene, he said.
“They were obviously planned,’’ Mr Vieth said.
“Then I just heard two police were shot.”
Jack Reid, 20, who lives close to the apartment complex, was standing nearby with his 18-year-old brother when the shots started.
A police officer shouted at bystanders to flee to a nearby supermarket.
“The policewoman was just shouting at us to get into Coles and stay there,’’ Mr Reid said.
“It was pretty scary.
“She was just going: ‘Everyone get into Coles now! Stay inside! Don’t come out!
“We all figured it was a hostage thing.
“I am a bit shaken.
“The gunshots took us all by surprise.
“It went for at least three seconds. It sounded like a pistol or something.”
Lee Griffin was working at a nearby dealership when he said tactical police hid behind local rubbish bins before firing.
Mr Griffin said he heard two distinct rounds of gun fire.
“It was a clear sound. It sounded like a glock or pistol,” he said.
“I heard an initial shot and then a wave of police arrived and that’s when the next shots occurred.
“I saw police shot the guy. It was terrifying.”
Local store owner Chi from Japanese canteen ‘Cheeky Chi’ said she heard a “deep sound” at 5pm.
The shopowner described the gunfire as “duh-duh-duh-duh”.
Chi had closed her shop at the time and did not see police.
The siege unfolded at Buckingham Serviced Apartments at 408 Bay St, next to a children’s swimming school and several doctors offices.
The apartments advertised as “luxury” apartments with private balconies and “spacious and modern decor”.
One bedroom apartments cost $130 per night.
Firbank Grammar School and Brighton Grammar school are within walking distance of the scene and schoolchildren could be seen nearby in the aftermath of the siege.
Witness Courtney Ardern said she was inside Brighton Spinal Group on Bay St when police ordered everyone to evacuate at 5.15pm.
“There are helicopters flying round and a carpark full of police, including a van with armed police,” Ms Ardern said.
“I also overheard someone saying they were evacuating an entire building nearby.”
Ms Ardern said the area was swamped with police and the road had been blocked off.
Notice the zebibah on his forehead?
He was devout, like all the others. How about finding out the mosque he went to.