Six people, including two junior police officers and two suspects, died in a drive-by shooting in the state of Queensland in Australia on Monday, December 12.
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Six people have died in a shooting in the Australian state of Queensland, including two junior police officers, police said on Tuesday (December 13).
Shortly after lunchtime on Monday, police received a call from the town of Wieambilla. “As soon as they entered the property they were riddled with bullets and had no chance,” Queensland Police Union chairman Ian Leavers said. “Two police officers were executed in cold blood,” he added.
The deceased were early career police officers, one was 26, the other 29. “These officers have made (show) the ultimate sacrifice to keep our community safe,” said Katarina Carroll, commander of the Queensland Police, holding back tears. A 58-year-old neighbor was also shot and “declared dead at the scene” by police.
After the first shooting, a special team was sent to the scene. Shortly after 10.30pm local time, two suspected men and a woman died. Their identity has not been revealed, but according to The Australian newspaper, it would be a teacher, his brother and his wife, owners of the places where the tragedy occurred.
According to local media, law enforcement was investigating the 2021 disappearance of a former primary school principal. The property was registered in the names of the missing man’s brother and sister-in-law, according to local media.
Shootings are rare in Australia, a country with one of the strictest gun laws in the world. The ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons has been in place since a 1996 shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, when a lone gunman killed 35 people.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Wieambilla’s scene as “horrible”. It was “a heartbreaking day for the families and friends of Queensland Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty,” he added.
