On 4 June 2019, a

mass shooting There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 200 ...

occurred in

Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( ; Larrakia: ) is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. With an estimated population of 147,255 as of 2019, the city contains the majority of the residents of the sparsely populated Northern Territory. It is the smalle ...

, Australia. The

Northern Territory Police The Northern Territory Police Force is the police body that has legal jurisdiction over the Northern Territory of Australia. This police service has 1,537 police members (as at 31 July 2019) made up of 79 senior sergeants, 228 sergeants, 839 con ...

confirmed that four people were killed in the incident and another one was injured. A 45-year-old man, Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, was arrested and subsequently convicted for murder and manslaughter.

Attack

The attacks occurred over multiple locations starting at 5:39 pm. According to one news source:

"Shots had rung out near Finnis Street just outside the CBD before the man moved to other locations – including The Buff Club, Stuart Park, the Palms Motel, a
Coles Express Eureka Operations Pty Ltd (trading as Coles Express) is an Australian chain of convenience stores at Shell Australia petrol stations. Its operations are managed by Coles. The business venture and corresponding fuel discount offer was launched in ...
and Jolly Street in Woolner."

Witnesses say the gunman entered the Palms Motel on McMinn Street, Darwin and used a pump-action shotgun to shoot through a guestroom door. According to sources, around 20 shots were fired by the suspect. Witnesses also noted that while in the motel the gunman went from "room-to-room" while screaming out "Alex". Police responded to the incident and the city centre near the motel remained in lock-down for an hour after the attack. The media reports that about 100 police were involved including officers from the

Territory Response Group The Territory Response Group (TRG) is the police tactical group of the Northern Territory Police Force. The TRG is tasked to provide general and specialist support to other units of the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF). History In Decemb ...

. Northern Territory Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw described the weapon as "a prohibited 12-gauge pump-action shotgun", and said it may have been stolen as far back as 1997. Police say that the suspect used seven vehicles to visit other places located in the city. After the motel shooting, the suspect fled in a Toyota

utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...

and remained at large for about an hour before being detained after notifying police of his location at the intersection of McMinn and Daly Streets. At the time of his arrest, the man, a suspected member of a motorcycle gang who had been released from prison in January, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet. The suspect was also taken to

Royal Darwin Hospital Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) is a 360-bed Australian teaching hospital located in Tiwi, Northern Territory, a northern suburb of the Territory capital Darwin. It is part of the Top End Health Service, which covers an area of . RDH is the only t ...

after being injured with a knife and

taser A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...

ed.

Victims

The deceased were all male: one man was reportedly killed at the motel, one at Buff Club, one at Gardens Hill Crescent, and one at Jolly Street. In addition, at the motel, a 23-year-old woman was shot multiple times in the legs. She was helped by a witness at the scene, and later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Perpetrator

The suspect was identified by as Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, aged 45. Commissioner Kershaw said that Hoffmann had been released from prison on parole in January 2019. He had been serving a six-year prison sentence, eligible for parole after four years. He committed a minor violation of his parole conditions, breaking curfew by less than an hour, and was imprisoned again for two weeks, being released in early May. During his parole he had been drug tested, with all results negative. Police also revealed that they stopped the suspect for speeding hours before the shooting. The suspect's motivation remains unclear, but Kershaw said the suspect may have been looking for certain individuals. One of the individuals may have been called "Alex". Police believe "Alex" was outside the Northern Territory at the time of the attack.

Legal

On 5 June 2019, four charges of murder were laid against Hoffmann. Hoffman was to stand trial in February 2020, but due to a dispute with NT Legal Aid, he initially had no legal representation. He entered a plea of not guilty to all counts, with Hoffman's lawyer indicating on 23 April 2020 that he would run a defence of mental impairment due to psychiatric illness. Hoffman's trial began on 21 September 2021 at Darwin Supreme Court. He was charged with the murders of four people, and with committing ten other serious offences, including threatening to kill and recklessly endangering life. At the start of the seventh week of his trial, he changed his plea to guilty of the murders of Baydoun, Sisois, and Courtney, and to the manslaughter of Hellings. He additionally pleaded guilty to half the other charges. Hoffmann sacked his legal team on 18 November 2021, requesting the court replace them. His sentencing hearing underwent a number of delays until a sentence was delivered in October 2022. On 13 October 2022, Hoffmann was given three life sentences without the possibility of parole for three of the murders, and a 15-year term of imprisonment for the manslaughter of a fourth victim.

Reactions

The

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...

, commented that the shooting was not terrorism related.

Michael Gunner Michael Patrick Francis Gunner (born 6 January 1976) is an Australian politician and was the 11th Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 2016 to 2022. He is a Labor member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having held his se ...

Chief Minister of the Northern Territory The chief minister of the Northern Territory is the head of government of the Northern Territory. The office is the equivalent of a state premier. When the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, the head of government wa ...

, stated that his thoughts were with the families and friends of the victims, stating "This is not the Darwin we know".

References