Hoddle Street massacre
The Hoddle Street Massacre is the name given to a tragedy that occurred on the evening of Sunday, August 9, 1987 in Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The shootings resulted in the deaths of 7 people, and serious injury to 19 others.
After a police chase lasting more than 30 minutes, 19 year old former Australian Army cadet Julian Knight was arrested in nearby Fitzroy and arrested for the shootings. Knight would be later sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 27 years for the bloodiest massacre in Australian history since the Sydney Milperra Bikie massacre in September 1984, where six men and a 14-year-old girl were killed.
Julian Knight
Main article: Julian Knight
Timeline of events
Below is a timeline of events which occured on August 9, 1987 during the drama.
- 9.29pm – Knight leaves his mother's house armed with
- a .22 calibre Ruger rifle,
- a 12-gauge pump-action Mossberg shotgun and
- a 7.62mm calibre M14 military rifle
- 9.30pm – Knight fires randomly at passersby using a Ruger rifle
- 9.35pm – Knight fires randomly at passersby using a Mossberg shotgun
- 9.37pm – First police unit arrives at the scene in Hoddle Street
- 9.39pm – Knight fires randomly at passersby using a M14 rifle
- 9.44pm – First ambulances arrive at the scene in Hoddle Street
- 9.45pm – Knight withdraws from the Hoddle Street scene
- 9.46pm – Knight fires 3 shots at police car "Northcote 253"
- 9.48pm – Police Helicopter "Air 495" arrives over Clifton Hill
- 9.59pm – Knight fires a shot at Constable Colin Chambers on the Northcote end of the Queens Parade/High Street bridge
- 10.05pm – Knight fires 3 shots at Police Helicopter "Air 495", forcing it to land on nearby Knott Reserve
- 10.13pm – Knight cornered in McKean Street, Fitzroy North
- 10.14pm – Knight surrenders and is arrested by police
See also
Categories: Melbourne-related stubs | Australian crime | Australian history | Massacres | Spree shootings | 1987