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Australia's Gun Problem

Firearm laws must change to protect farm workers and others, says pastoralist

A pastoralist has vowed to change firearm laws across Australia in a bid to end the reckless behaviour of some shooters that has left his workers and stock in fear for their lives.

In the 26 years he has owned Mundabullangana Station, about 100 kilometres south of Port Hedland, Michael Thompson has grappled many times with trespassers using his land to hunt.

The cattle producer estimates trespassers have cost him more than $250,000 in financial damages, including fence repairs, broken locks and other infrastructure costs over the past decade.

This year, however, Mr Thompson says it is the worst he has ever seen, with more instances of trespassing and firearm use without permission taking place on – and damaging – his property.

He says he hasn't lost staff, but there have been some close calls, with guns being fired near workers while they worked with cattle...



...A culture of guns and violence is not a topic Australia is usually associated with, however new statistics show it could be a deeper issue.

In 2019, the NSW Firearms registry recorded 239,963 licence holders and more than 880,000 registered firearms.

Accounting for firearms and people in NSW, that's roughly 10 per cent of the total population.

Until now, firearm-related violence has not been extensively studied in Australia, but the University of Sydney has changed that.
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More than 60 firearms seized in Victoria

More than 60 firearms have been seized in police raids across regional Victoria and Melbourne's western suburbs.

Police on Tuesday searched three properties in Lal Lal, Werribee and Altona North, seizing a number of weapons including an air rifle, shotguns and hand grenades.

...

Another 59 firearms were seized from an address in Clarkefield, north of Melbourne, on July 2.

A 29-year-old Clarkefield man was subsequently charged with possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms, possessing a controlled weapon without excuse, and possessing cartridge ammunition.
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The paragraphs I have omitted to stay within the rules just say that the person responsible in each case is in custody. It was a short article.
 
Wow.

The last line really surprised me.

"which includes primers and handgun reloading powders."

I have a couple of friends that would routinely make a hundred rounds on a Friday night to spend on the range on Saturday.

If people can't even hand-load, their proficiency will probably go down very quickly.

Makes me appreciate the laser firearms more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_pistol_(sport)
 
Not sure exactly what was going on here.

Two Queensland police officers, member of public and three alleged offenders shot dead at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane

Six people have been shot dead, including two police officers, during a siege at a property in Queensland's Western Downs that has been described as a "calculated and targeted execution".

Four Queensland police officers had gone to the property in Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, on Monday afternoon to investigate a missing persons case from New South Wales.

As they approached, two officers — Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26 — were fatally shot by two armed offenders, and a member of the public was also shot and killed.

The alleged offenders — two men and a woman — were then shot and killed by police late last night.
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Two police officers shot dead during siege at Queensland property identified as Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold

Two police officers shot dead during a siege at a property in Queensland's Western Downs have been identified as Constable Rachel McCrow, 26, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 29.

The officers were attending the property as part of a missing persons report when they were ambushed by three shooters — two men and a woman — wearing camouflage.

...

Mr Leavers said "there was no intelligence to suggest there was any danger or threats" in responding to a missing person investigation.

He said the local sergeant had assembled a team of 16 police officers, and "under heavy gunfire" went to the property to retrieve their "fallen colleagues".

"They had actually hoped they were still alive and with medical assistance could be rendered, their lives could be saved, but to no avail," he said.
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Who were these three murderers? Absolutely no idea. Apparently the property had been vacant for some time before a car turned up there and stayed for the weekend. I haven't been able to find out any more information on who it was and why they were there.
 
arthwollipot said:
Not sure exactly what was going on here.

Two Queensland police officers, member of public and three alleged offenders shot dead at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane



Two police officers shot dead during siege at Queensland property identified as Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold

Who were these three murderers? Absolutely no idea. Apparently the property had been vacant for some time before a car turned up there and stayed for the weekend. I haven't been able to find out any more information on who it was and why they were there.
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Two have been named. Nathaniel Train, his brother (forgotten his name) and his brother’s wife (not yet named). Train was reported as a missing person, ex school principal and indigenous. The details are chilling. Four officers were walking up the drive following up on the missing persons report and two were shot and fell. As they were lying in the ground they were executed. One who escaped hid in long grass, which the murderers lit. She was rescued by reinforcements.

Among reinforcements were Special Operations Group police, who were fired on. There was no doubt the murderers did not intend to be taken prisoner. Sadly a neighbour was also killed.

Background or “reasons” don’t matter. The murderers deserve no sympathy whatsoever.
 
This is one of the worst police killings in Australia in my opinion. One of the killed officers was photographed in uniform with a small dog, so he is probably in the Dog Squad. My son-in-law is in the Dog Squad in Victoria. These positions are strongly sought after and only the very best police get selected. This is one reason why this incident hits home.
 
The neighbour being killed seems to be the start...

Two neighbours approached the property when a car was set alight.

One was killed immediately and the other got away and called the police.
 
I wonder if the murderers were registered firearm owners. I think from here on in regional Queensland firearm owners will be approached far more cautiously in future.

Events like this strike at the heart and soul of Australia.
 
novaphile said:
The neighbour being killed seems to be the start...

Two neighbours approached the property when a car was set alight.

One was killed immediately and the other got away and called the police.
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I haven’t read that sequence, and doubt it is factual. If there was knowledge of a shooting the SOG would have attended armed to the hilt, not four local cops walking up a drive.
 
Norman Alexander said:
Initial news reports were the cops were investigating a missing child. So they were probably thinking it was "just a domestic dispute".
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Well Train was reported as missing (there’s a NSW police press release two or three days ago confirming this) so I think it more likely they were seeking his brother for information.

I obviously don’t know, but I think the attending police may have had some cause for concern. It is extremely unusual for four police to attend a regular missing persons call. Unheard of in my experience.
 
lionking said:
Well Train was reported as missing (there’s a NSW police press release two or three days ago confirming this) so I think it more likely they were seeking his brother for information.

I obviously don’t know, but I think the attending police may have had some cause for concern. It is extremely unusual for four police to attend a regular missing persons call. Unheard of in my experience.
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I think it's pretty clear that there was more to this than we're being told. They had reason to think that the missing person might be here, after all.
 
And now from the Department of Not At All Surprising, this:

Wieambilla shooting: property owner Gareth Train posted regularly on online conspiracy website before police killed

Exclusive: The brother of missing man Nathaniel Train had posted about preparing an ark and alleging the Port Arthur attack was a ‘false-flag’ operation


Gareth Train, the owner of a rural Queensland property where six people, including two police officers, were shot and killed on Monday, had become deeply entangled in an online conspiracy community, where he posted about a mistrust of police and claims the Port Arthur massacre was a false-flag operation.

The Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, on Tuesday said there had been “a lot of ammunition and weaponry” at the property, at Wieambilla in the Western Downs, and that the killed officers “did not stand a chance”.

...

A person who knew Gareth and his wife said they believed he had been sucked into online conspiracy theories in recent years.

He appears to have been a prolific poster on an alternative website that posts conspiracy, anti-authoritarian and other articles. He said in one recent post he had been “ark homesteading for the past five years preparing to survive tomorrow”.

“When it becomes clear that we are in a time like no other and you head out into the wilderness to escape persecution, know that my wife and I will offer refuge to all brothers and sisters,” he posted.

“I will be scanning the UHF channels when that times comes.”
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lionking said:
Well Train was reported as missing (there’s a NSW police press release two or three days ago confirming this) so I think it more likely they were seeking his brother for information.
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Seems that was the case.

I obviously don’t know, but I think the attending police may have had some cause for concern. It is extremely unusual for four police to attend a regular missing persons call. Unheard of in my experience.
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Also, why did they just walk up the path towards the house in a group, if this was a known violent and potentially armed suspect? Why not just call in the Special Ops guys from the start? They have the kit and the methods for this type of op. The town coppers from Upper Tumbucta West usually don't.
 
Norman Alexander said:
Seems that was the case.



Also, why did they just walk up the path towards the house in a group, if this was a known violent and potentially armed suspect? Why not just call in the Special Ops guys from the start? They have the kit and the methods for this type of op. The town coppers from Upper Tumbucta West usually don't.
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Three of them were new to the job. I don't think they were expecting anything like the reception they got.
 
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