Classroom Shooting - Australia Monash University

[sunlight00A]

this is a very sad story hope that could not happen again..

[ivicamanovic]

I shoot at the same gun club, that Alan did, Melbourne Indoor Pistal Range, which burned down a few years later, but I never seen him there. THIS IS A VERY SAD STORY INDEAD. MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVES ONES THAT DAY. The handgun buy back was a HUGE WASTE OF TAX PAYES DOLLARS IT FIXED NOTHING!!!!

[Lexx2]

I was in the Menzies Building that day (Visual Culture tute on the sixth floor) and remember it all very vividly. Such a terrible, tragic incident. I'm glad someone had taken the time to examine this tragedy.

[lovelplants]

what a tragic event that is... really,,,

[NMehtaMr]

I remember this guy being in my class and also him trying to talk to me while walking to class from parking. He was very hard to understand but seemed friendly. I think his demons got the better of him in the end. I feel sorry for him and the victims.

[struggleyangqi]

世界上 总有一些人会煎熬的活着 但愿他们有一天能够通过最完美的方式 得到心灵上的平静

[rosesareredcan5]

experience and especially if you have a language barrier to go along with it. I have been to a dark place of feeling left out and alone, it can cause depression,anxiety etc. All you need to do is think about that one person alone that one person next to you, cause that one person could end up committing a crime, and you could have done something to preven it - lend them a caring heart and a helpful hand

:(

[rosesareredcan5]

This story is truly tragic, but i think monash needs to work further towards decreasing the chances of something happening again like this. I started at this uni this year, and so far in about a month i have barely made any new friends and of course thats my fault blah blah blah, but in general people need to give each other a fair go, talk to the person in your tutes and lectures make a concious effort to not ignore someone. Feeling alone, unwanted and rejected from your peers is a terrible

[tangmo0001]

I get where ur coming from, storystory, but i think that people have different personalities and we need to recognise that just because soemone is not talkative doesnt make them not worth knowing. if everyone just tries to include everyone else, in groups or classes, it will make for a nicer environment overall...i mean we dont need to go heaps out of our ways but there is no need to just stick to "interesting people". talk to everyone, sometimes we just need to give one another confidence.

[Bander1]

There should be a mental stability check for people who get a firearms permit.

If you have a criminal background or have mental health problems. You cannot use or own a firearm.

Anyways even if the guy was suffering from mental problems. He is a coward. If he wants to commit suicide do so but don't take other people with him.

Cheers to the guys who tackled him to the ground. Great work.

[LoonYLegionnaire]

@Bander1 i think their is background checks done .

If you have a history of Violent offences , criminal history , mental health problems then you will be refused a firearm licence.

Hopefully , Law abiding firearm owners like myself , wont be painted as criminals or crazies because of guys like this , and scum like Martin Bryant.

[thegov08]

I just saw lee gordon brown in menzies building level 3. i walked up to him and saluted him.

[eddieliuy]

wow.. i remember hearing this new while i was in monash parkville campus.. called all my friend in calyton to make sure they are ok.... so scary

[Bora199420]

i once try to bring a bb spaz 12 gage to melbourne from Turkey but the bastard cops took it

[matty007007]

And to think he'd get off not guilty, just because he has a, "paranoid delusional" Disorder. That's no excuse. Jail for life.

[phileustace]

I used to study in that Menzies building. It is a awry drafty and sometimes empty place. I am very glad to be out of there. 3 years inside that building was enough for me. Infact most of the MOnash clayton campus is a austere soul-less place. Its just a group of buildings on a open field with concrete paths connecting them. Unlike other universities, there is no real social connection amongst its grounds. By 3.30 - 4.00 pm in the afternoon the place is dead.

[s4mbor4]

now even worse.. overcrowded campus centre during lunchtime, too much noise in library, and fucked up air conditioner, what more can I say?

[svkas1]

A tragedy for all involved: the victims, their families; the staff, Alan Xiang and his mother. However, a silent tragedy not often acknowledged is that nothing has changed to prevent this from happening again. Not where the University is concerned, i.e training for staff, let alone the very culture of the place.

There is still a serious lack of appropriate and sufficient support services for international students.

[thereddoor]

i still can't believe this happened. its really bizarre.

we're not the US. how many other school shooting have their been in Australia? no more than three or four i can imagine

[michaelisitsa]

Really really sad. Monash is such a calm uni here in a nice friendly country. You can just imagine those 2 people who died being your average 20 year old, handing in assignments or being one of your group members.

My heart is with the families of the victims

[elliebastard]

Of course this might have been avoided by tighting gun laws, only countries with very liberal gunlaws such as USA and Finland have had these kind of incidents.

Also people saying hello and how are you to people like this rarely would of helped even if you should try to be nice to everyone it does not help someone this disturbed. Professional help might of done the trick but even so you can not put someone in a psychprogram for wanting to be alone.

[pwnage666]

New Zealand and Switzerland have liberal gun laws, yet New Zealand has only had 1 massacre and Switzerland hasn't had a single massacre. And the only tightening they did was extend the waiting period, requirement to be active in a gun club and put regulations on barrel length (12cm min), calibre (.38 cal max) and magazine capacity (10 rnds max)... How the fuck is that going to stop another school shooting. Especially the fact you can get a gun much easier from your local bikie or drug dealer.

[gugu4chris]

that's scary !! i'm studying at Monash!! OMG does it mean that they're lots of twisted-minded dudes like him in skul?? YO! that's enough to beat the shit out me mayyyne! I swear I'll leave this skul...at the end of my semester...if sum crazy dude doesn't kill me before!

[croctop]

no melbourne

[yong4251]

If people cared a little bit more about the guy. Perhaps "How are you" or "Do you wanna go watch a movie with us" should have stopped the case.

[storystory]

the guy was an unsociable outsider who shot a friend of mine and blew off her jaw. people did make an initial attempt to say "hi" or "how're you", but after the first few "mmmm" or "good thanks" without any attempt to continue a conversation, it gets boring, and you move on.

[PBzwei]

The message is that people should be sensitised towards seemingly "strange" behaviour, not to ignore or leave that person alone. Tightening the gun laws is an inappropriate solution too, what really need to bo done is to extend a helping hand to those who are facing a mental trauma. This is what would lay the soundation of a good uni and society in general.

[pwnage666]

+1. If people intervened and got the guy some help, this incident may have never happened. And I am surprised his mum did not stop him from getting a gun license. The tightening of gun laws were just a knee jerk reaction from Johnny Howard (Which I am not surprised since he thinks they are "evil").

[kelvinfung1000]

it was terrible, i remember that i was there and just few days before the final exam.......oh,,,god,,,killed 2 ppls.....but, it was upset that i wasn't at that ceremony.......rest in piece

[squash123123]

Well this serves message, don't mess with the quiet ones... leave them alone... Don't mock them, don't get onto them. If you want communicate to them, be nice.

[maccabean]

Several years on, has Monash University or tertiary institutions in Australia learnt its lesson?

I would say no. A student can complete a 4 year degree without being engaged by students, lecturers let alone any type of social worker.

Very well made documentary. Well done.

[KillFrenzie]

The Governments only responce was to ONLY tighten Australian gunlaws? What is that supposed to mean? That if there where no guns he wouldn't have attempted to kill anyone?

[VegasSection86]

probably was practise for Port arthur,

[KillFrenzie]

This was after Porth Arthur.

[VegasSection86]

still connected with pt arthur, the govt needed all those nasy guns for the buy back, so why not start a scare campaign

[KillFrenzie]

The media creates the scare campaign.

[VegasSection86]

on instructions from the govt

[KillFrenzie]

The Libs? I havn't heard much from the govt while Rudds been in power and plenty of things have been happening.

[VegasSection86]

Not many shootings huh, all the damage has been done already, aus has new anti terror laws now, do you feel safer?

[KillFrenzie]

There's been some shootings most with unlicenced firearms. The anti terror laws don't really make me feel safer. Probably have less rights, but I never felt in danger in the first place.

[VegasSection86]

thats right your civil rights are being eroded, now they have an anti bikie bill aimed at bikies, but in reality it can be aimed at any groups, ie unions, students, people on strike, protestors

[KillFrenzie]

There all excuses to get more in control.

[KillFrenzie]

So you're not against gun ownership right?

[VegasSection86]

well thats two of us that are on to them Lol

[KillFrenzie]

^^???

[justintester]

Sad story, but great video. Hopefully this will help bring some attention and sensitivity to those with mental health issues

[spoco2]

As an ex Monasher (before the shootings), this was fascinating. Also it just touches on a very, very complex issue, and one with no simple solutions. Mental health needs all sorts of methods to attack it, but most of which will not be of any use for someone with no social network who doesn't believe he needs help.

[ultrahiplibrarian]

This is a part of Monash history that no one really talks about.

But I think everyone would remember the moment they found out what had happened.

Very interesting and professionally done. Thank you. VCA would be proud.

[beenrobbed]

I came to Monash in 2003 and only heard rumors about this. I tried searching about it on the net, but to no avail. Great Doco!