The threat posed by illegal possession of firearms to public safety: How should the Australian public respond in the event of a shooting incident?

How to deal with the already occurred or potentially occurring shooting incidents?

 

For the majority of ordinary individuals, few experiences evoke as much fear as directly witnessing a gun attack occur in front of them. Around 8 p.m. on November 22, 2024, in Surry Hills, Sydney, a man in his 30s was shot in his car and later died. The perpetrator fled the scene in a vehicle after the crime, and the gunshots caused panic among the residents in the neighborhood.

The police are examining the injuries of the person who was shot.
IMAGE CREDIT: 99 in Sydney.
                                            The police are examining the injuries of the person who was shot. IMAGE CREDIT: 99 in Sydney.

A Chinese woman who happened to be driving by heard five gunshots. Her car dashcam seemed to have captured the scene of the man who was shot falling out of the car covered in blood. When being interviewed, she said that at that moment she realized it was a shooting incident and was extremely frightened. She immediately drove away from the scene.This is a very wise approach to take when witnessing a dangerous incident.

Near the location where the incident occurred, there were many bars. As the incident happened on a Friday night, dozens of police cars attracted the attention of the onlookers. The police helicopters in the sky also drew the crowd’s attention. The Redbook blogger “99 in Sydney”, who provided the above picture, said that at that time she didn’t know what had happened. The street was very chaotic and many people were holding their mobile phones to take pictures. It wasn’t until the next day when she saw the news that she learned that this was a shooting case defined by the police as a gang war. This made her extremely frightened.

‘I realized that staying at the scene was a very dangerous thing to do’ She said , ‘The scene was extremely chaotic. No one knew whether there were still dangerous individuals remaining or if there would be any subsequent shooting incidents.’ Her memories and the provided on-site photos prove that there were indeed many passers-by at the scene at that time, trying to understand what had happened. This was clearly not a wise thing to do. In Australia, gun attacks occur frequently. Just in May this year, there were three gun attacks in Sydney.

 

The shooting incident that occurred in Sydney in May.

Since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the reform of Australia’s gun control laws has taken 29 years. However, the gun management regulations among the various states in Australia still have not been unified, and the official registration system for gun owners across the country has not yet been established. In light of the fact that such dangers may arise at any moment in daily life, it is crucial for individuals residing in Australia to comprehend the appropriate measures for addressing these situations and safeguarding their personal well-being.

 

People lack vigilance regarding potential safety hazards.

Sometimes, due to a lack of understanding of the situation or out of curiosity, people would gather around or take photos at the scene; however, in some cases, even when they are aware of the potential safety risks, they still choose to stay near the incident site.

Around 9 p.m. on April 4, 2025, a bar in Sydney’s Chinatown was surrounded by police and police vehicles. More than 20 police officers went to the scene to disperse the crowd and maintain order.Vedio provider: Little Red Book user Zhang Dapengliang

The video provider stated that the security crisis was ultimately resolved by eliminating the possibility of gun and weapon-related violence. However, at that time, the people present were clearly warned of the danger of gang fighting, but they did not disperse but instead chose to remain nearby and linger. Even the title of the post she herself published was: “I heard that someone was carrying a gun in the bar?????????” Meanwhile, on the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu alone, there were many similar posts asking what had happened near the Chinatown bars, along with videos of the crowds. The crowd remained until after 11 o’clock before gradually dispersing. This phenomenon is alarming and raises concerns about the huge hidden safety risks behind it.

Since Sydney’s Chinatown is situated in a bustling downtown area with high pedestrian density, the police were required to remain on-site to maintain public order. In this situation, the congestion could lead to potential safety risks, including stampedes and traffic accidents. Should a real shooting event occur, bystanders would likely face significant difficulty in evacuating the scene promptly. Furthermore, being in close proximity to such incidents may exacerbate the severity of potential accidents, resulting in greater harm.

How to deal with the already occurred or potentially occurring shooting incidents?

Given that the gun control laws cannot be fully perfected soon, Australian residents should remain vigilant about public emergencies and security incidents, prioritizing the protection of their own personal safety, and avoiding imposing additional burdens on the police in their duties and on social traffic. If a shooting incident occurs nearby, seek shelter in a nearby shelter and leave the scene as quickly as possible. Do not linger and watch. For places where the police have warned that an accident might occur, one should not gather to watch or take photos. Instead, leave in an orderly manner to avoid stampede accidents caused by panicked running.

In case of an emergency in Australia, how to call for help?

In Australia, if you encounter an emergency situation and need the assistance of the police, fire trucks or ambulances, you can call 000 to seek help.Even if there is no network coverage and the phone is not unlocked, it is still possible to call 000. For more detailed information about the help hotline, you can visit the link for a better understanding.

 

About 张准宇 4 Articles
My name is zhunyu Zhang, I am a postgraduate student majoring in Digital and Cultural Communication at the University of Sydney. I am concerned about the social security crisis brought about by gun control in Australia, so I chose this topic for research.

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