An Australian mosque reportedly visited by a 15-year-old before he shot dead a civilian police employee in an “act of terrorism” has been raided, police said yesterday.
The New South Wales Police Force said the mosque in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta — close to the scene of the double shooting on Friday afternoon — was raided with the consent of religious leaders.
“New South Wales police yesterday executed a warrant at a mosque in Parramatta,” police said in a statement yesterday.
“The warrant was undertaken by arrangement with leadership at the mosque, who provided full assistance to police at all times,” the statement said.
The 15-year-old gunman, who killed finance worker Curtis Cheng at close range outside the police force’s headquarters before he was shot dead by officers, visited the mosque before the shooting, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC).
Investigators have yet to establish why the teenager — who had no criminal history — targeted 58-year-old Cheng, although Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday said the attack “appears to have been an act of terrorism.”
Police did not provide further details about the mosque raid.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that investigators were searching for the shooter’s belongings, but had left empty-handed.
Senior police sources told ABC the teenager’s sister went missing on Thursday and boarded a Singapore Airlines flight to Istanbul, adding that she could be bound for Iraq or Syria.
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop would not comment on the report of the girl traveling, but said Australian federal and state governments were in talks with Muslim communities after the boy was identified as being of an Iraqi-Kurdish background and born in Iran.
“Yesterday, Prime Minister Turnbull and [New South Wales] Premier Mike Baird had a long conversation with not only ... relevant agencies, but also leaders in the Muslim community,” Bishop told ABC yesterday. “We’re certainly reaching out to the leaders of the Muslim community, but working with the families at a grassroots local level.”
“It’s the families that will be our front line of defense against radicalized young people,” Bishop added.
Cheng’s wife, Selina, son, Alpha, and daughter, Zilvia, said in a joint statement they were “deeply saddened and heartbroken” that the “most loved husband and father” was taken from them.
“My father was a kind, gentle and loving person,” the statement, released by police said. “He was humorous, generous of heart and always put the family first. He has set a tremendous example for us as a family.”
New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Andrew Scipione on Saturday described Cheng, who had worked for the force for 17 years, as a “gentleman in every sense” and “admired and respected by his colleagues.”
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