1976 Spring Hill shooting | |
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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.
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]
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]