This is one case that has fascinated me endlessly since watching the horror unfolding on the news as a ten year old back in April 1996. I've never been to Port Arthur, nor knew any of the victims, but the sheer size of the attack one man could place on a township on a regular weekend day was so shocking and confusing to me. Who was this crazy man? I couldn't remember seeing anything like it in our country.
To kill 35 people, including children aged 3 and 6, and wound however many others. What kind of person does this? The Dunblane massacre, I remember, had happened only a few weeks (or maybe months) before Port Arthur, and I'd thought, like so many times while watching terrible things the news, Thank God that doesn't happen here. I fear the day where we do see a similar incident like it in our country.
The National Firearms Agreement (banning automatic and semi-automatic guns) that followed was another controversy, but perhaps the best, bravest move of the freshly-elected Prime Minister Howard's entire political career.
Martin Bryant was sentenced to 35 life sentences for the murders, plus 1035 further years for various other charges. Never to be released. He has attempted suicide at least six times.
To kill 35 people, including children aged 3 and 6, and wound however many others. What kind of person does this? The Dunblane massacre, I remember, had happened only a few weeks (or maybe months) before Port Arthur, and I'd thought, like so many times while watching terrible things the news, Thank God that doesn't happen here. I fear the day where we do see a similar incident like it in our country.
The National Firearms Agreement (banning automatic and semi-automatic guns) that followed was another controversy, but perhaps the best, bravest move of the freshly-elected Prime Minister Howard's entire political career.
Martin Bryant was sentenced to 35 life sentences for the murders, plus 1035 further years for various other charges. Never to be released. He has attempted suicide at least six times.