Goodbye crossbows (Australia)

[Bruce in West Oz]

Girl shot in chest with crossbow
April 3 2003

Two teenage schoolgirls were shot with a crossbow at a NSW high school today and one was in a critical condition after an arrow hit her in the chest.

Witnesses said the attacker apparently chased students around the school near Port Stephens, shooting a 16-year-old girl through the chest. She was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

A 15-year-old girl was also shot in the leg in the incident at Tomaree High School at Salamander Bay at 8.15am (AEST).

Police said a teenage boy was arrested and was this morning helping police with inquiries.

A caller to Sydney radio 2GB, who said his nephew was a student at the high school, said a senior student tackled the boy as he was about to light a petrol bomb.

"The alleged offender apparently chased the girls around the school," the caller said.

"There's a hero at the school, a Year 12 boy at the school ... who has tackled this offender while he was trying to light a petrol bomb.

"It could have been horrendous."

An ambulance spokesperson said it appeared only one arrow was used in the incident.

The spokesman said crews on the scene had reported the arrow had gone through the girl's chest and struck a second teenager in the legs.

Rescue authorities were called in to cut the arrow from the second girl's leg before she too could be taken to John Hunter Hospital.

I believe crossbows are already restricted or prohibited in New South Wales.

Rather than seeing the folly of prohibition, my guess is that this will provoke a nationwide ban/compulsory surrender of ALL crossbows. The media will have a field day once the girl's parents get on TV .........

Congratulations to the Year 12 (which makes him 16 or 17) boy who took the little down!!

My sincere sympathies to the parents of the girls. And to the rest of the kids who will be totally swamped with self-serving "grief counsellors".

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/03/1048962856686.html

Bruce

 

[P95Carry]

The sad and pathetic thing is, that these days ..... OZ and UK mostly .... any ''weapon'' that is used feloniously immediately becomes the subject of the ''knee jerk'' brigade ... who have some niéve notion that total ban is both expedient and necessary. I'm just waiting to hear that UK will be banning all pellet guns and shotguns ..... hunting rifles will then probab ly ''finish the job''.

The media get hyped here ... the anti's love this sorta stuff. So ...... the 99.999% of legal, responsible owners (be it guns, cross bows, whatever) get slammed as if all equally likely to do just the same.

It is crazy!

Look at homicide rate in Russia ....... way higher than USA for instance ... and they have to use blunt instruments, knives, axes etc ....

Weapon control is not about weapons ...... it's about control.

 

[Deadman]

I believe crossbows are already restricted or prohibited in New South Wales

Yeah, from memory the possesion of a crossbow in NSW requires being a member of an archery club.

 

[Drizzt]

"crossbows are killing machines"

Police seek national crossbow ban

April 13, 2003

NSW Police Minister John Watkins will seek a national ban on all crossbows following an attack which seriously injured two schoolgirls near Port Stephens, north of Newcastle.

A 16-year-old boy was charged with attempted murder over the April 3 incident at Salamander Bay's Tomaree High School, in which 16-year-old Tamara Sharp was shot through the chest with a crossbow bolt.

The same bolt then struck Courtney Bennett, also 16, pinning her legs together.

It was alleged in court that the boy bought the weapon from interstate.

Mr Watkins said the incident had drawn attention to the problems of interstate and national controls.

"Crossbows are killing machines - nothing else," he said.

"Trafficking in these weapons is as deadly as drugs or guns.

"(NSW has) the toughest laws and the longest list of banned weapons - but I want to ensure unscrupulous people can't take advantage of different interstate legislation."

Mr Watkins said only NSW and the ACT banned all types of crossbow.

In other jurisdictions, including Customs checks, pistol or concealable crossbows were banned, but larger, non-concealable models were not.

Mr Watkins said he would seek the ban at next month's meeting of the Australasian Police Ministers Council (APMC).

He said he would also ask the federal government to introduce laws making it illegal to buy, sell, carry or send crossbows from one state or territory to another.

"A uniform ban would mean less attempts to bring crossbows into Australia across the Customs barrier, and less crossbows available to be sent illegally into NSW from other states," Mr Watkins said.

"The AMPC's support will ensure we can effectively target anyone engaging in interstate trade who transports, sells or posts one of these weapons illegally into NSW."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6278150%5E1702,00.html

 

[Mr. Bombastic]

Murder is banned too. Didn't make any difference.

Strangely, crossbows are exempt from quite a bit of weapons legislation in the UK. Don't know why.

One day they will try and take those too.

 

[P95Carry]

Strangely, crossbows are exempt from quite a bit of weapons legislation in the UK. Don't know why.

One day they will try and take those too.

I'll guarantee it!!

 

[Standing Wolf]

You couldn't pay me to take a vacation in Australia.

 

[CZ-75]

Let's see, semi-autos and pumps are banned b/c they fire numerous shots with little effort on the part of the shooter, making them "deadly killing machines."

Crossbows are being banned b/c they are slow to reload, arm, and fire, making them "deadly killing machines."

Hmmmmmmmmm.




Closest I'll be getting to Oz is the Outback Steakhouse, but I'll only be driving through their lot on the way to Ruth's Chris or someplace better.

 

[Tamara]

NSW Police Minister John Watkins will seek a national ban on all crossbows following an attack which seriously injured two schoolgirls near Port Stephens, north of Newcastle.

Well, that didn't take long.

Thank gawd she wasn't attacked with a cricket bat or a soccer ball, as that'd cut down on recreational possibilities if they had to confiscate those.

Have they snagged all the Aborigines' boomerangs yet? Those are offensive weapons too, ya know!

 

[fmjcafe]

What`ll they ban next? Sticks and stones?

 

[Dave P]

NSW Police Minister John Watkins will seek a national ban on all crossbows following an attack which seriously injured two schoolgirls near Port Stephens, north of Newcastle.
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And why are the po-po's seeking new legislations? They should focus on enforcing the existing laws, and let the Legislature worry about new laws. (at least that is how it should work!)

 

[Hawkman]

Pretty soon the only implement the Ozzies will be allowed to own is a spoon! And it will have a serial number and be issued at birth. Failure to produce your spoon upon request by any law enforcement officer will result in life imprisonment. Can't have unregistered spoons on the street, y'know!

 

[Deadman]

' Pretty soon the only implement the Ozzies will be allowed to own is a spoon! And it will have a serial number and be issued at birth. Failure to produce your spoon upon request by any law enforcement officer will result in life imprisonment. Can't have unregistered spoons on the street, y'know! '

Wasn't there a Simpsons joke about spoons in Australia...?




"Crossbows are killing machines - nothing else," he said.

Hmm, I seem to know of you two young female students who were recently hit with a crossbow bolt and weren't killed.....

 

[Atticus]

"There's a hero at the school, a Year 12 boy at the school ... who has tackled this offender while he was trying to light a petrol bomb.

"It could have been horrendous."



What...no ban on petrol?

 

[4v50 Gary]

It's not a weapons problem, it's a problem of people control.

 

[ball3006]

When is the ban on.......

rocks going to take effect down there?????chris3

 

[mussi]

At least it won't be Wilhelm Tell who shoots the Aussie PM.

 

[Bruce in West Oz]

What...no ban on petrol?

Well, actually, if you live here in WA, and you want to keep petrol at home for lawnmowers etc., it's illegal to store more than (from memory) 10 gallons.

Bruce

 

[tyme]

Deadman, I don't think the fact that the victims apparently survived reflects the relative lethality of bolts or arrows vis-a-vis bullets. One incident is a very poor statistical sample.