A man accused of firing five rounds at Canberra Airport, prompting widespread evacuations, neglected to exclude any ABC personnel from his first court appearance.
Monday, Ali Rachid Ammoun, 63, from New South Wales, appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Ammoun was charged with firing a handgun at a building, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and discharging a firearm near a person causing alarm after his detention on Sunday afternoon for allegedly shooting at the windows.
The prosecution and the court resisted the motion of Ammoun’s legal aid attorney Tamzin Lee to restrict the ABC from reporting on the case.
Robert Cook, the magistrate, told the court, “I am convinced that this is an open court and that the ABC has the right to report on such topics… unless there is a solid basis to conceal the proceedings.”
Ammoun did not request bail and was remanded in jail after spending a night behind bars.
He did not enter a plea to any of the allegations, so Magistrate Cook ordered a mental evaluation.
Sunday at around 1:20 p.m., police said Ammoun came to the airport and sat on chairs near the check-in booths before shooting five shots at glass panes.
During the event, no one was wounded, but the airport was evacuated and closed for around three hours. Ammoun had not undergone any security checks, and the authorities believe he acted alone.
Detective Acting Superintendent Dave Craft said during a news briefing on Sunday that police had “no clue” of the suspect’s reason for the alleged assault.
According to him, Ammoun had not targeted any passengers or staff members and had not through any screening processes.
He said, “I just want to reassure everyone that the airport is secure, that ACT Policing has reacted, and that there is no continuing danger to the community or to incoming and leaving travellers.”
According to Detective Craft, the suspect sat for around five minutes on the level two departures area before reportedly shooting at airport windows.
Some passengers were left stuck on their aircraft while the suspected gunman was being apprehended as a result of the incident.
On September 5, the 63-year-old will appear in court once again.