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Police investigate yesterday’s deadly Brighton siege
LATEST: PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has questioned why the man behind yesterday’s deadly Brighton siege was on parole.
Yacqub Khayre, 29, cut off a parole ankle bracelet before he shot dead an apartment worker and took an escort hostage in Brighton last night.
Victoria’s Police Commissioner said investigators would probe whether the terror gunman was trying to lure police into a deadly ambush.
Mr Turnbull this morning questioned why Khayre, who had a long history of violence, was on parole.
“How was this man on parole?” he said.
Yacqub Khayre leaves a court hearing in 2010. AAP Image/Julian SmithSource:AAP
“He had a long record of violence. A very long record of violence.
“He had been charged with a terrorist offence some years ago and had been acquitted.
“He was known to have connections, at least in the past, with violent extremism.”
Chinese media is reporting that the innocent man shot dead by Khayre was married just 15 days ago.
The 36-year-old’s body was found in the foyer of the Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Bay St by police soon after they arrived.
He is an Australian national of Chinese origin.
“He had done nothing wrong except work at the apartment,” police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.
The escort is a 36-year-old Ripponlea woman.
Khayre was killed after he fired at police and was shot dead.
Islamic State is trying to claim 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.
Mr Ashton said the gunman - confirmed as Mr Khayre, as revealed last night by the Herald Sun - was from Roxburgh Park in Melbourne’s north and lived with his mother.
Police remove a car beleived to belong to Yacqub Kayre. Picture: Alex Coppel.Source:News Corp Australia
A second body is removed from the scene. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia
Bomb squad officers on scene this morning. Picture: Alex Coppel.Source:News Corp Australia
Police are raiding Khayre’s home in Roxburgh Park. Picture: Jake NowakowskiSource:News Corp Australia
Police have seized computers and other devices from his house this morning.
The bomb squad returned to the Brighton apartments this morning with officers suiting up and heading into the building.
Police say they are just processing the crime scene and there is no bomb threat today.
Premier Daniel Andrews faced a barrage of questions in State Parliament this afternoon about why the gunman was on parole.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy ran through the long list of crimes Yacqub Khayre had committed before being “let out on the streets”.
State Parliament erupted as MPs on both sides of the chamber hurled insults at each other.
Mr Andrews defended his government’s record on tackling crime and dealing with problems with parole, and said he would “counsel those opposite” that nothing would be gained by playing politics with the issue of terror.
He then accused the opposition of failing to support police, which led to howls of denial from coalition MPs.
Mr Guy slammed Mr Andrews over parole and for being soft on crime.
Asked at a media conference earlier today 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.”
Forensic police remove evidence this morning. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
Forensic police hold an evidence bag outside the Buckingham Serviced Apartments. Writing on the bag says: “Hard covered book with Arabic writing (in cloth bag) on desk in living room. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
Last night’s deadly siege concluded when Khayre 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.
Asked if he believed the gunman lured police to ambush and kill officers, Mr Ashton said: “It’s a possibility (but) 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.
“It’s early days.
“There’s search warrants being done.
“We’ve got computers and electrical items seized to go through.
“The AFP (Australian Federal Police) 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.”
A police officer holds a gun over the front gate of the serviced apartments. Picture: AFP Photo/Mal FaircloughSource:AFP
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 the siege that lasted about two hours and involved heavily-armed specialist police 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.”
Mr 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.”
A body is removed from the scene early this morning. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia
A bomb robot goes in as police secure the scene last night. Picture: Yuri KouzminSource:News Corp Australia
The gunman at the centre of the siege was known to counter-terrorism investigators.
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.
A bomb squad police officer at work at the apartments’ entrance. Picture: Yuri KouzminSource:News Corp Australia
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.”
Media conference this morning with Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, AFP Commander Brian McDonald, Premier Daniel Andrews and Police Minister Lisa Neville (right). Picture: Mark StewartSource:News Corp Australia
BRIGHTON ATTACK A SHOCKING CRIME: PM
Prime Minister Turnbull said the incident in Brighton, coming so soon
after the attack in London, had shocked all Australians.
“This terrorist attack by a known criminal, a man who was only recently released on parole, is a shocking, cowardly crime,” he said.
“It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamist terrorism.
“What is clear here is that we face a growing threat from Islamist terrorism in Australia in our region and around the world.
“We will continue to defy it and we will continue to defeat it.”
Mr Turnbull said there was concern about copycats but the terror threat level had not been raised for Australia.
“But all of these attacks, particularly given the way they are reported on, across the
world, all run the risk of promoting other copy cat incidents,” he said.
Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Mike Phelan said there was a viable threat in Australia.
“Currently (there is) in excess of 70 ongoing operations throughout the country,” he said.
“In addition to that, there are, and the director general of security has put on public record,
the 200 people they are looking at.
“In addition to that, on an outer ring, are those who have come to attention, in each of the state jurisdictions monitored by the equivalent of their intelligence units and in the case of Victoria, that is in the hundreds.
“It is where people fit on the list.
“We are constantly putting people under review, depending on the intelligence that comes through, ongoing investigations, some someone comes up, a peripheral target, they get reassessed.”
As the siege was taking place Khayre called the Channel Seven newsroom in Melbourne and 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.
Forensic police gathering vital evidence this morning. Picture: Yuri KouzminSource:News Corp Australia
The forensic officers were concentrating on items at the entrance to the Bay St apartments. Picture: Yuri KouzminSource:News Corp Australia
The call came after the weekend London outrage in which terrorists shouted “this is for Allah” as they killed seven people.
RESIDENTS RUN AS TERROR COMES TO BRIGHTON
Witness Lee Griffin said last night 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.”
Local residents were told to take shelter in this Coles as shots rang out. Picture: Tim CarrafaSource:News Corp Australia
Police block Bay St. Picture: Tim CarrafaSource:News Corp Australia
Officers taking shelter behind the wall of the apartments at the height of the drama.Source:Channel 7
The front of the apartments in Brighton. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia
Police outside the apartment block. Picture: AFP Photo/Mal FaircloughSource:AFP
Moments later, officers freed the woman who had been held captive.
A major police presence, including specialist tactical officers, remains at the scene today.
Neighbours reported hearing more than 20 gunshots in the area and police ordered everyone in the area to head to Coles supermarket.
Police at the scene in Brighton. Picture: Tim CarrafaSource:News Corp Australia
Witness Ben Vieth was standing on his balcony about 150m from the scene when gunfire erupted just after 6pm last night.
“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.”
Emergency services at the scene. Picture: Matt Talbot-WeichmannSource:Supplied
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.”
State Emergency Services outside the apartment complex. Picture: Valeriu CampanSource:News Corp Australia
Buckingham Serviced Apartments at 408 Bay St, is 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.
The shopping strip was blocked off in the early afternoon. Picture: Valeriu CampanSource:News Corp Australia
More than 20 shots were fired during a hostage situation in Brighton. Picture: Matt Talbot-WeichmannSource:Supplied
Originally published as PM: ‘How was this man on parole?’