1976 Spring Hill shooting
| 1976 Spring Hill shooting | |
|---|---|
  Spring Hill Spring Hill (Brisbane)  Spring Hill Spring Hill (Australia) | |
| Location | Boundary Street, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia |
| Date | 22 September 1976 12:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (AEST; UTC+10:00) |
| Target | Random people |
Attack type | Mass shooting, hostage crisis |
| Weapons | .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 4 |
| Perpetrator | William Robert Wilson |
On 22 September 1976, a mass shooting and hostage crisis occurred on Boundary Street in Spring Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 36-year-old William Robert Wilson killed two people and wounded four others at random before taking five hostages. He surrendered to police after an hours-long standoff and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1980.
Shooting
[edit]At 12:30 p.m. (UTC+10:00; AEST) on 22 September 1976, local labourer William Robert Wilson, armed with a .22-calibre rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition, began shooting at people on a car park ramp in Spring Hill.[1][2][3] Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Wilson was allegedly upset that he had been rejected for membership by a model plane club.[4] He first shot and wounded 28-year-old Donald Galloway and 25-year-old Virginia Hollidge before proceeding down the street, where he encountered 17-year-old Monica Schleuss.[1][2] Wilson shot Schleuss in the head, killing her in the street.[2] The gunman crossed Boundary Street and opened fire into a milk bar, fatally shooting 18-year-old Marianne Kalatzis and wounding 17-year-old Mavis Saunders.[2] Wilson walked to a neighbouring barber shop, where he fired at least four shots, wounding 48-year-old Quinto Alberto.[1][2] The shooter then fled to a house in Kelvin Grove, where he forced his way inside and took five student teachers (four women and one man) hostage.[1]
The police response to the attack was bungled; as training was interrupted and law enforcement drove to the scene, a responding vehicle carrying weapons crashed in Jindalee.[1] When police arrived, they took positions surrounding the house where Wilson and his hostages were, with some donning bulletproof vests and others arming themselves with rifles and shotguns.[1] Law enforcement spoke to Wilson for about two hours as they attempted to persuade him to surrender.[1][2] At 3:30 p.m., one hostage escaped after telling Wilson she wished to go to the restroom; she instead ran down the stairway of the house.[1] Around 4:00 p.m., police decided to storm the house after Wilson threatened to kill the hostages and was seen holding the gun to his victims.[3] When constables entered the room where Wilson was, the gunman and police exchanged gunfire.[3] Constable John O'Gorman managed to knock Wilson down and take him into custody at around 4:15 p.m.[2][3]
Legal proceedings
[edit]On 23 September, Wilson, aged 36, appeared in court, charged with two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, unlawfully causing fear by being armed in public, and having a rifle with intent to commit a crime.[1][5] He did not enter a plea, stating that he had not spoken to a lawyer.[5][6] A judge recommended that Wilson be medically examined and presented back in court on 1 October.[5][6] On that date, prosecutors advised that Wilson was receiving treatment at Wolston Park Hospital.[7] Wilson stayed in the psychiatric hospital for three years before he was found mentally fit to enter a plea.[3][8] Aged 40, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment on 23 June 1980.[3][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Armed man kills two in four-hour rampage". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 September 1976. p. 1. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gun rampage in city kills two". Canberra Times. 23 September 1976. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Spring Hill Siege 1976" (PDF). Queensland Police Museum. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ "Brisbane crime: Spring Hill Siege of 1976 followed gruesome midday massacre". Courier Mail. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b c "Man charged over shooting". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 24 September 1976. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Cleaner, 36, remanded on murder charges". Canberra Times. 24 September 1976. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ "Charged man in hospital". Canberra Times. 2 October 1976. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Brisbane gunman jailed for life". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 June 1980. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.