PORT ARTHUR — 1996 · Major Tragedy
Port Arthur Massacre
On 28 April 1996, at the historic Port Arthur convict site in Tasmania, a gunman opened fire first in a café and then on surrounding roads and at a guesthouse. Thirty-five people were killed and 23 wounded. The gunman was captured the next day as he left the guesthouse he had set on fire. He pleaded guilty and in November 1996 was sentenced to 35 life terms without parole. Just 12 days after the massacre, the National Firearms Agreement led by Prime Minister John Howard was agreed; semi-automatic weapons were banned and a large-scale buyback was carried out.
- Date
- 1996
- Place
- Tasmania, Australia, Port Arthur, AU
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- -43.1484, 147.8516 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 28 April 199635 people were killed at Port Arthur.
- 29 April 1996The gunman was captured.
- 10 May 1996The National Firearms Agreement was adopted.
- 22 November 1996The gunman received 35 life sentences.
Sources
- The Guardian — How Australia made gun control happen after Port Arthur theguardian.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Port Arthur massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Guardian
- CNN
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.