Six people, including two police officers, were shot and murdered during a harrowing six-hour standoff in Australia this week in a shocking occurrence emphasizing that strict gun control laws do not eliminate gun crimes.
The tragedy started on Monday when four cops went to a house in the rural Queensland town of Wieambilla.
In response to complaints of a missing person, police were called.
Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, were shot and killed as they approached the property, Queensland police said in a statement.
Alan Sure, a 58-year-old neighbor who came over to check out the disturbance during the standoff, was also shot and died, according to the officials.
Randall Kirk and Keely Brough, two additional police officers who are both 28 years old, were also shot, but their wounds weren’t life-threatening, so they were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment.
According to Australia’s ABC News, the three suspects have since been identified as brothers Nathaniel Train and Gareth Train as well as Gareth’s wife, Stacey Train.
The person who had been reported missing was Nathaniel Train.
Near the end of the six-hour standoff, tactical police shot and killed all three of the suspects.
According to The Guardian, the fatal incident was the result of a family feud. Stacey Train, who had wed Nathaniel Train in 1995 while they were both in their late teens, later divorced him in order to date his brother.
The event, according to Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, highlights how risky a police job can be. She paid homage to the constables and other first responders.
“Tragically, this is the largest loss of life the QPS has suffered in one single incident in recent times,” Carroll said in a statement early Tuesday. “It is [a] sad reminder of the unpredictable nature of policing and the incredible dangers our officers face while protecting our community.”
Australia has strict gun control laws that differ from state to state. According to CBS News, the laws generally:
- Force people to give a legitimate reason to own a gun. Self-defense is not considered a legitimate reason.
- Ban the sale and importation of automatic and semiautomatic rifles and shotguns.
- Force people to wait 28 days to buy a firearm.
Despite how tightly regulated guns are in Australia, this horrific shooting still took place.