Sunday 18th August 1991:
| 7 Dead In Strathfield Massacre |
Strathfield Plaza echoed with the sounds of screams and gunfire yesterday as a man armed with an AK-47 rifle killed six people before turning the gun on himself. Also wielding a knife and a machete, the man wounded and hospitalized another seven people, four of which remain in a critical condition tonight.
| ...started in a cafe where the man had been sitting drinking coffee for some time |
The massacre started in a cafe where the man had been sitting drinking coffee for some time. He then suddenly stabbed a 15-year-old girl who subsequently died.
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He sprayed bullets around the coffe shop, killing three women and a man. The firth victim was the owner of the cafe who was shot while chasing the assailant into the plaza. Shopkeepers said people were extremely frightened, with many yelling and screaming.
Mrs Anne McGill, owner of the photographic shop in the plaza, said small children hid at the back of her store saying prayers. Local Chief Superintendant Doug Kelly described the scene as ' horrific.' ' There appears to be no rhyme or reason for the gunmen's actions', he said.
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The Prime Minister Mr Bob Hawke, has responded to the news by calling for all states to review gun control legislation.
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