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.
| 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 |
Shooting
editAt 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
editOn 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.