The aftermath of any murder that involves a firearm involves an investigation of how that firearm was obtained. We have very strict rules and regulations to deny firearms to anyone with a history of domestic violence and yet a man with an AVO against his name for a thirty year history of violence against multiple partners and children slipped through the net and went on to murder his teenage son and daughter.
Shooting is an Olympic sport as a measure of accuracy and there are numerous pistol and rifle clubs with firing ranges that allow patrons to practice this sport. An inquest into the shooting death of fifteen year old Jack Edwards and his thirteen year old sister, Jennifer reveal that their father should never have been granted permission to have access to a gun.
John Edwards went to the home of his estranged wife when she was at work in the city and callously murdered his two teenage children with multiple gun shots. He later ended his own life with that same weapon.
That inquest is hearing a sorry story of how John Edwards was refused membership of two gun clubs because of strange and aggressive behaviour. He approached both the Hornsby RSL rifle club and the Kur-Ring-Gai Pistol club, where club officials comment " he was arrogant, a little pushy and I didn't feel comfortable with him ". He was refused membership at both clubs but presented what is known as a " P-640 " form which allowed unlicensed people to shoot under supervision.
In the personal history statement on that form, he admitted that he had been refused a gun license in 2010 because there was an AVO against him. That should have been automatically advised to the State's Firearm Registry, but is wasn't. Edwards circumvented the ban when he successfully applied for a " Commissioner's permit " to get around the previous license refusal. He obtained a full gun license in 2017. This is despite repeated harassment of club officials and an incident when he followed one in his car, waving and hooting and flashing his lights to create a confrontation on his license refusal.
John Edwards behavious should have had alarm bells ringing in both clubs but it does raise the question of how many other people are in legal ownership of a firearm in similar circumstances. The holder of a pistol license is permitted to house the weapon in their own home, but there are stringent requirements that it must be secured in an approved gun safe. It would be interesting to know what security checks ensure that condition is met ?
It also raises the question of what retrieval is in place when a person with a gun license dies. A gun license is open ended and when people age their interest in test firing to retain proficiency usually ceases. There must be a number of guns stashed away in gun safes which become part of the deceased estate and pass to people who may not meet the criteria for gun ownership.
It is painfully obvious that there are a huge number of unregistered long arms still in the community from the days when such firearm's did not need to be licensed. They often pass from father to son, until they get into criminal hands by way of a burglary.
The one thing very clear from this inquest - is that gun registration needs more work !
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