The Osmington shooting was a
familicide
A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which one kills multiple close family members in quick succession, most often children, spouses, siblings, or parents. In half the cases, the killer lastly kills themselves in a murder-sui ...
in
Osmington, Western Australia
Osmington is a small townsite located in the South West region of Western Australia in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, about north-east of Margaret River.
It was established as part of the Group Settlement Scheme, being group number 85. ...
, on 11 May 2018, in which Peter Miles, a 61-year-old retired high school farm manager, shot dead his wife, daughter, and four grandchildren, before calling police and then committing suicide. It is the worst shooting incident in Australia since the
Port Arthur massacre Port Arthur massacre may refer to:
*Port Arthur massacre (China), an 1894 event in which Japanese troops killed several thousand Chinese in the Liaodong Peninsula
*Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
The Port Arthur massacre was a mass shooting t ...
of 1996.
Background
Peter Miles worked in the farm school at
Margaret River Senior High School
Margaret River Senior High School is a comprehensive public co-educational high day school, located in Margaret River, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia.
The school was established in and in 2019 had an enrolment of 1,026 ...
for twenty years.
[ In 2015, he and his wife Cynda moved from the Margaret River townsite to a ]hobby farm
A hobby farm (also called a lifestyle block in New Zealand, or acreage living or rural residential in Australia) is a smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are held merely to ...
in Osmington
Osmington is a village and civil parish within Dorset, England, situated on the Jurassic Coast north-east of Weymouth. In the 2011 census the parish—which includes the small settlements of Upton, Ringstead and Osmington Mills—had a popul ...
. Miles' daughter, Katrina, and her four children (Tay, 13; Rylan, 12; Arye, 10 and Kayden, 8) moved onto the property following the breakdown of her marriage, living in a renovated shed. Katrina believed the children were on the autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, and they were withdrawn from the local school in order to be home-schooled
Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
.mental illness
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and dysfunctional relationships. Peter was "estranged from his own mother and his father had tried to kill him". His son, Katrina's brother, burned down a shed during a family dispute and later committed suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
. Katrina had also "once threatened to kill herself and the children by driving into a tree".separation
Separation may refer to:
Films
* ''Separation'' (1967 film), a British feature film written by and starring Jane Arden and directed by Jack Bond
* ''La Séparation'', 1994 French film
* ''A Separation'', 2011 Iranian film
* ''Separation'' (20 ...
,[ and that Peter and Cynda had prevented him from seeing his children for six months prior to the shootings.
]
Investigation
Authorities arrived at the Miles' 30-acre farm in Osmington following a call to 000
Triple zero, Triple Zero, Zero Zero Zero, Triple 0, Triple-0, 000, or 0-0-0 may refer to:
* 000 (emergency telephone number), the Australian emergency telephone number
* "Triple Zero", a song by AFI (band), AFI from ''Shut Your Mouth and Open Your ...
at 5:15 am. Peter (aged 61) was found outside the property deceased in a chair on the veranda
A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.
Although the form ''veran ...
, his wife Cynda (58) inside the main house. Their daughter, Katrina Cockman (35) and her four children were found inside a converted shed behind the main house that served as their residence. Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson confirmed that three rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
s were recovered at the property, all of which were licensed to Peter, and that police did not believe that anyone outside the residence was involved.
Aaron Cockman held a press conference forty-eight hours after learning of the deaths, stating that he had been told by police that Peter first shot Katrina and her four children while they slept in their beds, before shooting his wife Cynda in the living room of their home. He then placed a two-minute 000 call to police alerting them to the shootings, before committing suicide.
On 17 May, Dawson confirmed that police had completed forensic work and that access to the property was returned to the family, but stated that the investigation would continue for several months. A suicide note was also confirmed to have been found. Peter was also found to be on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class antidepressants at the time of the incident.[ ]
Aftermath and criticism
Cockman has criticised the Office of the State Coroner for its secrecy and unwillingness to provide information to him.[ Ros Fogliani, the State Coroner, rejected his request for a public ]inquest
An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...
to be held, stating that it was "not desirable" and that "all relevant lines of inquiry have been followed and that a coroner is now able to make the required findings about the deaths on the evidence that has already been obtained".[
Cockman has stated his belief that the ]Family Court of Western Australia
The Family Court of Western Australia is a Australian court hierarchy#State and territory courts, state court that deals with family law. It was established by the passing of the ''Family Court Act'' (WA, 1975) and commenced operation in 1976. I ...
placed the Miles family "under intense financial and emotional pressure" prior to the killings,[ and supports a royal commission into Australian family law.][
]
See also
* Timeline of major crimes in Australia
This is a timeline of major crimes in Australia.
19th century 1800s
*26 January 1808 – George Johnston played a key role in the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's recorded history, the Rum Rebellion. Johnston late ...
References
{{reflist, 30em
Deaths by firearm in Western Australia
Mass murder in 2018
Murder in Western Australia
Mass murder in Australia
Mass shootings in Australia
May 2018 crimes in Oceania
May 2018 events in Australia
Murder–suicides in Australia
2018 murders in Australia
2018 mass shootings in Oceania
21st century mass murder in Oceania
Familicides
2010s mass shootings in Australia
2010s in Western Australia