On Friday, May 11, Australian police found seven people, including four children, dead in a rural town in the Margaret River wine-growing area. They said guns were involved in the killings.
Western Australia’s Commissioner of Police, Chris Dawson, said that the incident was clearly “an horrific tragedy.” It could be the worst mass-shooting that Australia has seen in decades.
The three adults and four children were found dead at a property in Margaret River, located on the southwestern tip of Australia.
Dawson said, “The bodies of two adults were located outside, five bodies were located inside a building on the rural property. Two firearms have been located at the scene. We are trying to locate other members of the family and friends.”
According to local media, the incident is being treated as a murder-suicide by police.
Gun crime has fallen significantly in Australia since 1996, following a mass shooting in Tasmania which resulted in much stricter gun controls.
Millions of firearms were bought back and confiscated by the government at this time, and firearm purchases became much harder.
While there have been further mass killings since this time, this latest incident could prove to be the biggest gun-related death in over 20 years.
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