24 years since The Monash University Shooting
By Lily Constable
On 21 October 2002, what began as an ordinary morning at Melbourne's Monash University turned into one of Australia's most shocking campus shootings.
At 11.24 a.m., fourth-year commerce student Huan Yun Xiang entered an econometrics tutorial and opened fire. Within minutes, two students had been killed and five others seriously injured, leaving a university community forever changed.
The two victims were 26-year-old William Wu, an international student from Hong Kong, and Yat Ming "Steven" Chan, a student from Doncaster. Five other students and staff members were also injured during the attack.
Witnesses later told investigators that Xiang climbed onto a desk before opening fire, shouting, "You will never understand me." Former classmates said he often became frustrated when lecturers struggled to understand him and that he had become increasingly isolated throughout his studies.
Despite these reported communication difficulties, Xiang completed a commerce degree with strong academic results and was accepted into the Monash honours program.
The shooting came to an end when lecturer Dr Lee Gordon Brown, despite being wounded himself, tackled Xiang while he attempted to reload. Student Alastair Boast assisted Dr Brown in restraining Xiang until police arrived. The pair later received Australian Red Cross Community Hero Awards for their actions.
Police later found a handwritten note in Xiang's possession referring to William Wu, stating, "I finally ended WW's life."
During court proceedings, Xiang pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder on the grounds of mental impairment. Evidence presented to the court indicated he believed William Wu was an "agent of evil" who intended to destroy him academically. Witnesses also told the court concerns had been raised about Xiang's mental health in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
Both the prosecution and defence accepted that Xiang was suffering from a mental illness at the time of the attack. On 17 June 2004, a jury found him not guilty of the murders and attempted murders because of mental impairment.
Xiang was ordered to be detained in a psychiatric hospital for up to 25 years. In 2015, while receiving treatment, he attacked a consultant psychiatrist with a knife and received an additional seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
The Monash shooting prompted renewed discussion about Australia's gun laws. Then Prime Minister John Howard ordered a review of firearms legislation after it was revealed Xiang had legally obtained the weapons used in the attack.
More than two decades later, the Monash University shooting remains Australia's deadliest mass shooting on a university campus and serves as a reminder of the lasting impact such tragedies have on victims, families and the wider community
https://www.abc.net.au/news/20...
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