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Australian School Shooting Puts Laws in to End This From Happening Again

2002 mass shooting in Melbourne, Australia

Monash University shooting
Monash University Menzies Building.jpg

Exterior of Menzies Edifice, site of the shooting

Location Monash University, Melbourne
Coordinates 37°54′46″S 145°07′57″E  /  37.9127°South 145.1326°East  / -37.9127; 145.1326 Coordinates: 37°54′46″Due south 145°07′57″East  /  37.9127°S 145.1326°Due east  / -37.9127; 145.1326
Engagement 21 Oct 2002
11:24 a.m. (UTC+10)

Assail type

School shooting
Weapons
  • CZ-75 9mm
  • Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum 6-shot revolver
  • Smith & Wesson .38-caliber 5-shot revolver
  • Beretta 89 .22-quotient
  • Beretta Tomcat .32-caliber
  • Taurus handgun (.xl-caliber)
Deaths 2
Injured five
Perpetrator Huan Yun "Allen" Xiang
Motive Delusions of persecution by victim

The Monash University shooting was a mass shooting in which a 36-yr-quondam international pupil killed students William Wu and Steven Chan, both 26, and injured five others including the lecturer. It took place at Monash University, in Melbourne, on 21 October 2002. The gunman, Huan Yun Xiang, was acquitted of crimes related to the shootings due to mental impairment, and is currently under psychiatric care. Several of the people present in the room of the shootings were officially commended for their bravery in tackling Xiang and ending the shooting.

Events of 21 October [edit]

At xi:24 a.thou. on 21 October,[1] Huan Yun "Allen" Xiang[2] (向环云 Xiàng Huányún [three]), a commerce student at the academy,[4] armed with six loaded handguns, opened fire in room E 659 of the Menzies Building on Monash'southward Clayton campus[5] in an econometrics class containing twelve students.[half dozen] People in the classroom were initially confused by the noise and by Xiang screaming "You lot never understand me!" from the desk he was continuing on.[6]

Xiang killed 2 students in the room:[two] [seven]

  1. Xu Hui "William" Wu, an international student from Hong Kong, People's republic of china and neighbor of Xiang's in Melbourne; and
  2. Steven Chan, a student from Doncaster.

Xiang wounded five others:[4] [half-dozen] [7] [eight]

  1. lecturer Lee Gordon-Brown, who was shot in the arm and knee;
  2. pupil Daniel Urbach, who was wounded in the shoulder and arm;
  3. student Laurie Brown, who was wounded in the leg and belly;
  4. educatee Christine Young, who was shot in the confront; and
  5. pupil Leigh Dat Huynh, who was discharged from hospital within a solar day.

When Xiang stopped shooting and moved to switch weapons, Lee Gordon-Brown, the injured lecturer, grabbed Xiang's hands every bit he reached into his jacket. Gordon-Brownish and a student in the room, Alastair Boast, a trained wing chun practitioner at the Universities lodge, run by Barry Pang, tackled him.[iv] [6] [9] [10] Bradley Thompson subsequently entered the room and discovered five guns in holsters effectually Xiang's waist, including two Berettas, a Taurus, and 2 revolvers, as well as two magazines from near his hip.

Gordon-Brown and Boast were assisted past a passing lecturer from a nearby room, Brett Inder, to restrain Xiang for thirty minutes until police arrived, while Thompson and university ambassador Colin Thornby, provided showtime help. They both received Red Cross "Customs Hero" awards for their help.[one] [5] [11] [12] At to the lowest degree one injured pupil reportedly left the room and sought help for his injuries from security staff.[xiii]

Xiang was deemed past law to be unfit for interview only wrote a note referring to William Wu after his arrest saying "I finally ended WW'south life."[ane] [6]

All classes in the Menzies Building were cancelled for the rest of the day and the university set up counselling stations.[13]

Trial [edit]

Xiang pleaded non guilty before his trial to two counts of murder and 5 of attempted murder on account of mental harm.[fourteen]

During his two-day trial in June 2004,[15] prosecutor Sue Pullen presented evidence that Xiang felt the killings were his destiny.[6] Evidence showed that Xiang had joined the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia in April 2002,[2] [6] and gained a handgun licence in June 2002.[2] 1 lecturer, Gael M. Martin, told the court that she had expressed concerns about his mental state a week prior to the shootings.[6] Evidence was offered that he harboured delusional beliefs that William Wu was an agent of evil and would destroy him academically, and that his actions on 21 October 2002 focused on fulfilling a perceived destiny to impale Wu.[14] [fifteen]

The defence and prosecution in Xiang'south trial agreed that he suffered from a paranoid delusional disorder.[i] The prosecution asked the jury to find him not guilty.[14] On 17 June 2004 the Victorian Supreme Court jury constitute him non guilty of the murder of Wu and Chan and of the attempted murder of five other people in the tutorial room due to mental harm. Justice Bernard Teague ordered Xiang be transferred to the Thomas Embling psychiatric infirmary. He may be held there for as long equally 25 years.[1] [15]

Responses [edit]

Memorials [edit]

On 22 October 2002, the twenty-four hours after the shooting, flags on Clayton campus flew at half mast, and a graffiti creative person wrote "Life is short. Cherish your friends. Love one another. R.I.P." on a campus billboard.[11] [16] On the first anniversary of the shootings, 21 October 2003, a 24-hour interval of reflection was held on Clayton campus.[5] There is now a memorial (behind the campus's Matheson Library) to the victims.

William Wu and Steven Chan were posthumously awarded honours degrees by Monash University.[viii]

Media [edit]

Early media coverage focussed on Xiang'south limited English language skills and resulting difficulties communicating as possible contributing factors to his decisions.[4] [17] [xviii]

There was besides editorial coverage arguing both for and confronting additional legal restrictions on handguns being introduced in Australia.[19] [xx]

Shooting massacres in Commonwealth of australia and other English language-speaking countries oftentimes occurred shut together in time. Forensic psychiatrists attribute this to copycat behaviour,[21] [22] which is in many cases triggered by sensational media treatment.[23] [24] Mass murderers study media reports and imitate the deportment and equipment that are sensationalised in them.[25] The Monash shooting occurred at the height of publicity for the Beltway sniper attacks, which was extremely prominent from iii Oct to the arrest of the perpetrators on 24 Oct 2002, three days afterward the Monash shootings.

Gun ownership laws [edit]

The and so Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, initiated another review of Australian gun laws, the final having been after the Port Arthur massacre, afterward it was discovered that Xiang had acquired his firearms legally.[26] The Victorian State Regime prepared new laws doubling the penalisation for misuse of handguns and introducing new laws confronting trafficking in handguns after the shooting,[vii] and all other states followed.

The National Handgun Buyback Act 2003 put new restrictions on maximum calibre, magazine capacity and minimum barrel lengths for handguns held on a Category H sport/target shooting licence.[27] [28] Victoria began its handgun buyback scheme in Baronial 2003.[29] [30]

Bravery awards [edit]

Lee Gordon-Brown, Alastair Boast, Brett Inder, Bradley Thompson, Andrew Swann and Colin Thornby all received bravery awards for their office in restraining Xiang and helping injured victims.[1] [31] [32] The Royal Humane Gild awarded Gordon-Brown the 2005 Stanhope Gold Medal, the highest Democracy award for bravery. In addition The Royal Humane Society of Australasia (RHSA) awarded him the 2004 Clarke Gilded Medal of the RHSA and he was awarded the Star of Courage, the second highest award for bravery in the Australian honours system. The RHSA awarded Alastair Avowal the Golden Medal of the RHSA.[10] [33]

Aftermath [edit]

In 2015, while being treated Xiang attacked a female person Consultant Psychiatrist with a knife at Thomas Embling Hospital, where he had been incarcerated.[34]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Australian Associated Press (xiv June 2004). "Killer sent to psych infirmary". The Sydney Morn Herald . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Berry, Jamie (12 September 2003). "How a shooting spree changed the nation's gun laws". The Historic period. Retrieved xviii April 2007.
  3. ^ "华裔在墨内北刺伤医生引恐慌 曾射杀2同学." ChinaNet Australia, My Act Times. 21 October 2015. Retrieved on 23 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Murphy, Padraic; Misha Ketchell; Andrew Heasley (22 October 2002). "Two die equally gunman attacks his own class". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Rood, David (21 October 2003). "Reluctant heroes draw positives from pain". The Age . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d due east f g h Drupe, Jamie (12 September 2003). "Educatee believed Monash killings were 'his destiny'". The Historic period . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  7. ^ a b c Crabb, Annabel (23 October 2002). "PM flags tougher gun laws". The Age . Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  8. ^ a b Ketchell, Misha (26 October 2002). "Shooting victims awarded degrees". The Historic period . Retrieved 18 Apr 2007.
  9. ^ Webster, Andrew (23 October 2002). "Kung fu fighter a modest campus hero". The Age . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  10. ^ a b "Gallant Australian academic wins highest Commonwealth bravery award" (Press release). The Royal Humane Order of Australia. half dozen July 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved xviii Apr 2007.
  11. ^ a b Milovanovic, Selma; Guerrera, Orietta (23 October 2002). "Man defendant of uni deaths remanded in custody". The Sydney Morning time Herald . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  12. ^ Tozer, Kate (22 October 2002). "Students at Monash University call up the heroes". PM, ABC. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  13. ^ a b "Two shot dead, five wounded at Monash Uni". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 Oct 2002. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  14. ^ a b c "Monash murder defendant 'mentally impaired'". The Age. Australian Associated Press. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  15. ^ a b c Topsfield, Precious stone (18 June 2004). "Monash gunman not guilty". The Historic period . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  16. ^ Guerrera, Orietta (23 October 2002). "A sombre uni gets on with life". The Age . Retrieved 18 Apr 2007.
  17. ^ White potato, Padraic; Steve Butcher (22 Oct 2002). "Talented loner who struggled in class". The Age. Retrieved xviii Apr 2007.
  18. ^ Rees, Margaret (29 October 2002). "Two students killed in Australian university shooting". Globe Socialist Spider web Site. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  19. ^ Whitley, John (31 October 2002). "Allow everyone have a gun". The Age. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  20. ^ Costello, Tim (24 October 2002). "Firearms: the repeating menace". The Age. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  21. ^ Mullen, Paul quoted in Hannon K 1997, "Copycats to Blame for Massacres Says Skilful", Courier Mail, 4/3/1997.
  22. ^ Cantor, Mullen and Alpers, 2000 Mass homicide: the civil massacre. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 28:1:55-63.
  23. ^ Phillips, D. P. 1980. Plane accidents, murder, and the mass media: Towards a theory of imitation and suggestion. Social Forces, 58, 1001-1024.
  24. ^ Cialdini, Robert 2001. Influence: Science and Practice 4th Ed. Allyn and Bacon, pp. 121-130.
  25. ^ Cramer, Clayton Eastward. 1993. Ethical Bug of Mass Murder Coverage in the Mass Media. Periodical of Mass Media Ethics 9.
  26. ^ "Gun laws under scrutiny after Monash shooting". ABC News Online. 23 October 2002. Archived from the original on 12 September 2004. Retrieved eighteen April 2007.
  27. ^ "Governor General of the Commonwealth of Commonwealth of australia: Assent of Acts". Governor General of the Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved nineteen April 2007.
  28. ^ Hudson, Phillip (30 June 2003). "Prices set in handgun crackdown". The Age . Retrieved 19 Apr 2007.
  29. ^ Hudson, Phillip (ane July 2003). "Victoria delays gun buyback move". The Historic period . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  30. ^ Strong, Geoff (9 August 2003). "Twenty-four hours one of the gun buy-back tough for some". The Age . Retrieved xviii Apr 2007.
  31. ^ "Ambulance service awards accolade our customs heroes" (Press release). State Government Victoria Section of Homo Services. December 2002. Archived from the original on fifteen March 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2021. {{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  32. ^ "Monash heroes and ethnic lecturers recognised alongside Australia'south leading university teachers" (Press release). The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP - Media Centre, Section of Teaching, Scientific discipline and Grooming. 3 December 2002. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  33. ^ "Highest Commonwealth bravery award for Monash academic". Monash University News (Press release). 16 August 2006. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved xviii April 2007.
  34. ^ Toscano, Nick (21 October 2015). "Monash University gunman Huan Yun Xiang suspected of stabbing infirmary dr.". The Age. Retrieved 17 Jan 2017.

External links [edit]

  • Classroom Shooting - Australia Monash University documentary on YouTube

rinaldisionen.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monash_University_shooting

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