This article is a list of mass shootings in Australia. Mass shootings are firearm-related violence with at least four casualties. Excluded are shootings associated with acts of war, such as the 1944 Cowra breakout, which saw over 200 soldiers killed. Also excluded are massacres of Aboriginal people using firearms, most of which are not well-documented.
The data include casualties of perpetrators, including self-inflicted gunshot or shooting of a perpetrator by police. That treatment of perpetrator casualties is at variance to some but not all definitions of a mass shooting used in the United States. The inclusion of injured victims in the data is also at variance with some of the US definitions that only include dead victims. However, the above treatment is consistent with that used in other Wikipedia lists of mass shootings by country.
Date | Location | Dead | Injured | Total | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 December 2022 | Wieambilla, Queensland | 6 [n 1] | 2 | 8 | Wieambilla police shootings: A religiously motivated terrorist attack left six people dead including three perpetrators (two men and one woman). Another two people were wounded in the shootings. [1] |
4 August 2022 | Bogie, Queensland | 3 | 1 | 4 | A man shot four members of the same family, killing three and seriously wounding one. [2] |
4 June 2019 | Darwin, Northern Territory | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2019 Darwin shooting: A man shot five people with a pump-action shotgun, killing four and wounding one. [3] |
14 April 2019 | Melbourne, Victoria | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2019 Melbourne nightclub shooting: A drive-by shooting by two men left two people dead and four others wounded. [4] |
11 May 2018 | Osmington, Western Australia | 7 [n 1] | 0 | 7 | Osmington shooting: A man shot dead his wife, daughter, and four grandchildren, before committing suicide. [5] |
5 June 2017 | Brighton, Victoria | 2 [n 1] | 3 | 5 | 2017 Brighton siege: A man shot and killed one person and then held a hostage. In a subsequent shoot-out with a police tactical unit, the perpetrator was killed and three police officers were wounded. [6] |
7 March 2016 | Ingleburn, New South Wales | 2 [n 1] | 2 | 4 | A man armed with a rifle shot and killed one person and wounded two others, before taking his own life. [7] |
16 December 2014 | Sydney, New South Wales | 3 [n 1] | 4 | 7 | Lindt Cafe siege: Three people were killed and four others were wounded during a police raid at a café where a man was holding hostages. [8] |
8 September 2014 | Lockhart, New South Wales | 5 [n 1] | 0 | 5 | A man shot and killed his wife and three children with a shotgun, before committing suicide. [9] |
26 April 2013 | Smithfield, New South Wales | 0 | 4 | 4 | A shooting incident at a residence left four men wounded. [10] |
29 April 2011 | Hectorville, South Australia | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2011 Hectorville siege: A shooting incident and the following stand-off with the police left three people killed and three others wounded. [11] |
10 April 2010 | Roxburgh Park, Victoria | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his three children and himself. [12] |
18 May 2009 | Jandakot, Western Australia | 0 | 4 [n 1] | 4 | A gang-related shootout left four people wounded. [13] |
2 June 2007 | Adelaide, South Australia | 0 | 4 | 4 | A shooting incident at Tonic nightclub in Light Square left at least four people wounded. [14] |
31 October 2005 | Fairfield, New South Wales | 1 | 3 | 4 | A 29-year-old man was shot dead and three others were wounded in a shooting at Babylon Cafe in the Civic Centre Arcade. [15] |
20 March 2005 | Oakhampton Heights, New South Wales | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A 32-year-old woman armed with a rifle shot and killed her husband, two children and herself. [16] |
21 October 2002 | Melbourne, Victoria | 2 | 5 | 7 | Monash University shooting: A male international student shot and killed two students and wounded five others including the lecturer. [17] |
26 May 2002 | Cabramatta, New South Wales | 0 | 7 | 7 | A man opened fire with a handgun at a wedding party, wounding seven people. [18] |
Date | Location | Dead | Injured | Total | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 October 1999 | Adelaide, South Australia | 3 | 2 | 5 | A gang-related shooting left three people killed and two others wounded. The case remains unsolved. [19] |
3 October 1999 | Bendigo, Victoria | 1 [n 1] | 4 | 5 | A man shot and wounded four police officers during a 19-hour stand-off, before committing suicide. [20] |
3 August 1999 | Acacia Hills, Northern Territory | 2 [n 1] | 3 | 5 | A 12-hour shooting spree left two people dead and three others wounded. The gunman was among the killed. [21] |
22 February 1999 | Wollongong, New South Wales | 1 | 9 | 10 | A man opened fire in front of a nightclub with a double-barreled sawn-off shotgun, killing one man and wounding nine others. [22] |
10 November 1997 | Chippendale, New South Wales | 3 | 1 | 4 | A gang-related shooting at Blackmarket Cafe nightclub left three men killed and another man wounded. [23] |
31 August 1997 | Mackay, Queensland | 0 | 5 | 5 | A shootout between rival bikie gangs left five people wounded. [24] |
28 April 1996 | Port Arthur, Tasmania | 35 | 24 [n 1] | 59 | 1996 Port Arthur shootings: A man shot and killed 35 people and wounded 23 others during a shooting spree. [25] |
25 January 1996 | Hillcrest, Queensland | 7 [n 1] | 0 | 7 | A man shot dead his estranged wife, three children, and parents-in-law before committing suicide. [26] |
22 October 1995 | Prospect, Tasmania | 0 | 4 | 4 | A 17-year-old shot and wounded four police officers before fleeing. He was later arrested and charged with five counts of attempted murder. [27] |
5 December 1994 | Fawkner, Victoria | 3 [n 1] | 3 | 6 | A man opened fire on people and passing vehicles, killing two people and wounding three others. He was shot and killed by police. [28] |
21 June 1994 | Khancoban, New South Wales | 1 | 3 | 4 | A woman was killed and three other people wounded at a holiday resort. A suspect surrendered at the scene. [29] |
26 August 1993 | Burwood/Redfern, New South Wales | 3 | 1 [n 1] | 4 | A man shot and killed two of his roommates before shooting his landlord to death at another location. The gunman was shot by police during a car chase and arrested. [30] |
27 October 1992 | Central Coast, New South Wales | 6 | 1 | 7 | Central Coast massacre: A man armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun shot and killed six people and wounded another. [31] |
17 August 1991 | Strathfield, New South Wales | 8 [n 1] | 6 | 14 | Strathfield massacre: A man armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot and killed seven people and wounded six others at a shopping mall, before committing suicide. [32] |
5 January 1991 | Camp Hill, Queensland | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed three family members and himself. [28] |
3 October 1990 | Deniliquin, New South Wales | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his wife and two children before committing suicide. [33] |
30 August 1990 | Surry Hills, New South Wales | 5 | 0 | 5 | A man armed with a 12-gauge shotgun killed five people at a public housing precinct before surrendering to police. [34] |
7 April 1990 | Burleigh Heads, Queensland | 1 | 9 [n 1] | 10 | A Satanist shot at passing cars with a rifle, killing one person and wounding eight others before being shot by police and arrested. [35] |
12 March 1990 | Perth, Western Australia | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his wife and two children before committing suicide. [36] |
7 November 1989 | Carrathool, New South Wales | 2 | 2 | 4 | A man shot four people at a remote house, killing two. [37] |
25 September 1988 | Molgawo Arnhem Land near Gunbalanya, Northern Territory | 5 | 0 | 5 | A man shot and killed his wife, his two children and his in-laws. [38] |
5 February 1988 | Patterson Lakes, Victoria | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his wife and two children before killing himself. [28] |
27 December 1987 | Winkie, South Australia | 3 | 1 | 4 | A mentally ill fruit-grower shot at relatives and co-workers, killing three people and wounding another before fleeing. [39] [40] |
8 December 1987 | Melbourne, Victoria | 9 [n 1] | 5 | 14 | Queen Street massacre: A man armed with a rifle shot and killed eight people and wounded five others. He committed suicide by leaping from an 11th-floor window. [41] |
10 October 1987 | Canley Vale, New South Wales | 6 [n 1] | 1 | 7 | Canley Vale shootings: A man shot five people to death before killing himself. The victims were a woman who had rejected the perpetrator and gotten engaged to another man, her mother, father, brother and sister. Another brother was injured. [42] |
9 August 1987 | Clifton Hill, Victoria | 7 | 19 | 26 | Hoddle Street massacre: A man armed with several firearms shot and killed seven people and wounded nineteen others. [43] |
23 January 1987 | Pymble, New South Wales | 4 | 0 | 4 | Pymble shooting: A man went to the family home of his former girlfriend, shot her and three others. [44] |
12 February 1986 | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | 4 [n 1] | 1 | 5 | A man shot and killed his common-law wife and her parents and wounded her brother. The man returned home and committed suicide. [45] |
2 September 1984 | Milperra, New South Wales | 7 [n 1] | 28 [n 1] | 35 | Milperra massacre: A gunfight between rival motorcycle gang members left seven people killed and twenty-eight injured. [46] |
1 June 1984 | Wahroonga, New South Wales | 6 [n 1] | 0 | 6 | Wahroonga murders: A man shot dead his wife, three children and his mother, before killing himself. [47] |
3 March 1982 | Tweed Heads, New South Wales | 7 [n 1] | 0 | 7 | A man armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot and killed a family of six before committing suicide. [48] |
24 September 1981 | Campsie, New South Wales | 6 [n 1] | 1 | 7 | A man shot his wife and five children with a pair of rifles before committing suicide. One of the children survived. [49] |
21 May 1980 | Melbourne, Victoria | 3 | 2 | 5 | A man opened fire at the Supreme Court of Victoria, killing three people and wounding two others before being arrested. [50] |
14 October 1979 | South Yarra, Victoria | 0 | 4 | 4 | A man shot and wounded four people at a theatre. The perpetrator later walked into Camberwell Police Station and gave himself up. [51] |
22 September 1976 | Spring Hill, Brisbane | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1976 Spring Hill shooting: A man shot two dead and wounded four others on Boundary Street, Spring Hill, Brisbane in a random shooting. He was captured by heavily armed police later at a house where he was holding 5 people hostage. [52] |
12 November 1975 | Toowoomba, Queensland | 6 [n 1] | 0 | 6 | A depressed man used a .22-calibre rifle to kill his wife, three sons and a daughter, before committing suicide. [53] |
6 September 1971 | Hope Forest, South Australia | 10 | 0 | 10 | Hope Forest shooting: A man shot dead his wife, their seven children, his wife's sister-in-law and her son with a .22-calibre rifle. [54] |
15 December 1969 | Greenwich, New South Wales | 3 [n 1] | 1 | 4 | A Finnish immigrant killed his wife and daughter and wounded his son, before shooting himself. [55] |
28 June 1962 | Collingwood, Victoria | 4 | 0 | 4 | Four people were found shot dead at a home. A 26-year-old man surrendered the following day. [56] |
24 July 1959 | Shepparton, Victoria | 0 | 5 [n 1] | 5 | An Italian man armed with a shotgun shot and wounded four people including a police constable. He was arrested after accidentally shooting himself. [57] |
18 February 1957 | Brisbane, Queensland | 7 [n 1] | 1 | 8 | A man shot and killed six people and wounded another one before committing suicide. The perpetrator first battered his wife and daughter to death and set them on fire, before taking his gun to a house across the street to kill a friend's wife, two children and family friend. [58] |
6 August 1955 | Ivanhoe East, Victoria | 2 [n 1] | 4 | 7 | A man shot and killed one person and wounded four others with a pistol before committing suicide. [59] |
1 August 1951 | Beenak, Victoria | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his sister and brother-in-law before walking to a post office, killing another sister, and killing himself. [60] |
2 July 1948 | Glen Innes, New South Wales | 6 | 0 | 6 | A man shot and killed his six children before being arrested and sentenced to death. [61] |
29 August 1946 | Waterloo, New South Wales | 2 | 4 | 6 | Two people were killed and four others wounded at a house known for underworld crime. Nine people were arrested. [62] |
17 September 1945 | Paddington, New South Wales | 2 | 2 | 4 | Two people were killed and two others wounded in a home. [63] |
29 October 1938 | Frankston, Victoria | 1 [n 1] | 3 | 4 | A man shot and wounded three people with a pistol at a dance hall before killing himself. One of the wounded girls had previously rejected the perpetrator's romantic gestures, which had led to the perpetrator making threats to shoot her. [64] |
21 August 1931 | Perth, Western Australia | 7 [n 1] | 0 | 7 | A man shot and killed his wife and five children before committing suicide. [65] |
30 September 1929 | Palmyra, Western Australia | 3 [n 1] | 4 | 7 | A retired farmer shot and wounded four people at a house before killing two other people and himself. [66] |
1 November 1928 | Rockdale, New South Wales | 4 [n 1] | 1 | 5 | A man entered a home and started firing, killing two women and wounding two other people before attempting suicide. [67] The perpetrator and a victim later died of their wounds. [68] |
19 July 1928 | Bendigo, Victoria | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man killed three people (his wife and two others) in a house before setting the home on fire and committing suicide. [69] |
14 January 1927 | Kyogle, New South Wales | 0 | 4 [n 1] | 4 | Four people (three men and one woman) were shot and wounded in a targeted attack. Five men were arrested, including one of the injured. [70] |
4 September 1926 | Bundaberg, Queensland | 3 | 2 | 5 | A man killed his two children and father-in-law, attempted to kill his wife and wounded one other person with a revolver before walking outside and being arrested. [71] |
30 August 1926 | Sydney, New South Wales | 5 [n 1] | 0 | 5 | Five people were killed in a domestic violence incident. A father shot his wife, three children, and himself. [72] |
14 December 1924 | near Cessnock, New South Wales | 1 [n 1] | 3 | 4 | A man walked around firing at people, wounding three before committing suicide. [73] |
10 February 1924 | Jingellic, New South Wales | 1 | 3 | 4 | A man shot into a crowd at a picnic, killing one person and wounding three others. [74] |
23 January 1924 | Melbourne, Victoria | 4 | 1 | 5 | A man opened fire at a botanical garden with a rifle, killing four and wounding one. He later killed himself at another location. [75] |
22 March 1921 | Riverton, South Australia | 2 | 3 | 5 | A man armed with a revolver shot and wounded five people at Riverton railway station. [76] Two of the victims, including MP Percy Brookfield, died of their wounds. [77] |
1–2 June 1919 | Sydney, New South Wales | 2 [n 1] | 16 | 18 | A Chinese man armed with two revolvers and smoke bombs opened fire at random as he roamed the streets, fatally shooting one person and wounding sixteen people. He was killed by an armed citizen. [78] [79] |
1 January 1915 | Broken Hill, New South Wales | 6 [n 1] | 7 | 13 | Battle of Broken Hill: Two men shot dead four people and wounded seven more before being killed by police and military officers. |
2 May 1913 | Ballarat, Victoria | 2 [n 1] | 2 | 4 | A man shot his wife and two children, killing one, before committing suicide. [80] |
25 September 1912 | Alexandria, New South Wales | 0 | 4 [n 1] | 4 | A man shot and wounded three people in the street before being injured and arrested. [81] |
17 July 1912 | Shark Bay, Western Australia | 3 [n 1] | 2 | 5 | A Filipino seaman shot and killed two people and wounded two others before being shot dead. [82] |
16 November 1911 | Mackay, Queensland | 4 | 0 | 4 | Ching family murders: A man killed a family of six. Four of the victims were killed with firearms. |
29 June 1907 | Richmond, Queensland | 1 | 7 [n 1] | 8 | A man fired from a wagon at people, killing one person and wounding six others. The shooter was wounded and arrested. [83] |
6 October 1903 | Hay, New South Wales | 0 | 4 | 4 | A teenager carrying a shotgun shot and wounded four children, allegedly by accident. [84] |
Date | Location | Dead | Injured | Total | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 February 1898 | Glen Osmond, South Australia | 4 [n 1] | 1 | 5 | A man armed with a revolver shot and killed his wife and two children, wounded another child and then committed suicide. [85] [86] |
19 December 1897 | Ashfield, New South Wales | 0 | 4 | 4 | Four children were shot and wounded as they trespassed. A man was remanded into custody. [87] |
17 August 1888 | South Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia | 4 [n 1] | 0 | 4 | A man shot and killed his three children and himself. [88] |
3 January 1871 | Forest Reefs, New South Wales | 3 | 1 | 4 | A man shot and killed his wife, mother-in-law and father-in-law, and wounded another person, during a domestic violence incident. [89] |
9 January 1867 | Jindera, New South Wales | 4 | 0 | 4 | A gang of men shot and killed four police special constables. [90] |
Roger Caleb Rogerson was an Australian detective sergeant in the New South Wales Police Force and a convicted murderer. During his career, Rogerson received at least thirteen awards for bravery, outstanding policemanship and devotion to duty, before being implicated in two killings, bribery, assault and drug dealing, and then being dismissed from the force in 1986.
The Milperra Massacre, Milperra bikie shoot-out or Father's Day Massacre was a gunfight between rival motorcycle gang members on 2 September 1984, in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The gunfight had its roots in the rivalry that developed after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club chapter in Australia. Seven people were killed and twenty-eight injured and the event was a catalyst for significant changes to gun laws in New South Wales.
This is a timeline of major crimes in Australia.
Terrorism in Australia deals with terrorist acts in Australia as well as steps taken by the Australian government to counter the threat of terrorism. In 2004 the Australian government has identified transnational terrorism as also a threat to Australia and to Australian citizens overseas. Australia has experienced acts of modern terrorism since the 1960s, while the federal parliament, since the 1970s, has enacted legislation seeking to target terrorism.
Organised Crime and Gangs in Australia refers to the activities of various groups of crime families, organised crime syndicates or underworld activities including drug trafficking, contract killing, racketeering and other crimes in Australia.
The Comanchero Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia and South East Asia. The Comancheros are participants in the United Motorcycle Council of NSW, which convened a conference in 2009 to address legislation aimed against the "bikie" clubs, their poor public image in the wake of several violent clashes and ongoing biker wars, and defusing deadly feuds such as the Comancheros' battles with the Hells Angels. The sincerity of these efforts to defend the battered image of the clubs has been met with skepticism.
The history of gangs in Australia goes back to the colonial era. Criminal gangs flourished in The Rocks district of Sydney in its early history in the 19th century. The Rocks Push was a notorious larrikin gang which dominated the area from the 1800s to the end of the 1900s. The gang was engaged in running warfare with other larrikin gangs of the time such as the Straw Hat Push, the Glebe Push, the Argyle Cut Push, the Forty Thieves from Surry Hills, and the Gibb Street Mob.
Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi was a Lebanese-Australian outlaw biker and gangster who served as the second national president and "supreme commander" of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club.
The Osmington shooting was a familicide in Osmington, Western Australia, on 11 May 2018, in which Peter Miles, a 61-year-old retired high school farm manager, shot dead his wife, daughter, and four grandchildren, before calling police and then committing suicide. It was the worst shooting incident in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996.
Criminal activity in Victoria, Australia is combated by the Victoria Police and the Victorian court system, while statistics about crime are managed by the Crime Statistics Agency. Modern Australian states and cities, including Victoria, have some of the lowest crime rates recorded globally with Australia ranked the 13th safest nation and Melbourne ranked the 5th safest city globally. As of September 2018 the CBD of Melbourne had the highest rate of overall criminal incidents in the state (15,949.9), followed by Latrobe (12,896.1) and Yarra (11,119.2). Rural areas have comparatively high crime rates, with towns such as Mildura (9,222.0) and Greater Shepparton (9,111.8) having some of the highest crime rates in the state.
Notorious is a former gang that was based in Sydney, Australia. They claimed to be an outlaw motorcycle club; however, not all members ride motorcycles. A large percentage of its membership consisted of petty criminals, with no real history of bikers among their ranks. Its emblem features a skull with a turban brandishing twin pistols and the words "Original Gangster" beneath it, along with the motto "Only the dead see the end of war". Labeled as one of Australia's most dangerous gangs, they had been feuding with larger and well-known motorcycle gangs including the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. It was thought that as of March 2012 the gang no longer existed as an organised structure after being dismantled by a police operation arresting key members and with other members choosing to quit the gang life. This served to reinforce claims by established MCs that Notorious wasn't a genuine club.
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is classified as a motorcycle gang by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in numerous countries. While the club has denied being a criminal organization, Bandidos members have been convicted of partaking in criminal enterprises including theft, extortion, prostitution, drug trafficking and murder in various host nations.
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC), an international outlaw biker gang, has been involved in multiple crimes, alleged crimes, and violent incidents in Australia. The Hells Angels are legally classified as a criminal organisation in the Australian state of Queensland, and there have been attempts to classify them as such in New South Wales. The Hells Angels have been linked with drug trafficking and production, as well as a host of violent crimes including murder, in Australia.
The Wieambilla shootings was a religiously motivated terrorist attack in Australia on 12 December 2022. It involved the killing of police constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare, at a rural property in Wieambilla, a locality in Queensland. Three residents, brothers Gareth and Nathaniel Train, and Gareth's wife, Stacey Train, were subsequently shot and killed by Queensland Police. The shootings were labelled as Australia's first fundamentalist Christian terrorist attack.
Tarek Zahed is a Sydney-based Lebanese-Australian organised crime figure. He is an alleged member, and former sergeant-at-arms, of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club.