La Trobe University shooting
Encyclopedia
The La Trobe University shooting was a shooting
that took place in the Eagle Bar at La Trobe University
Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
on 3 August 1999 in which one man was killed and a woman was seriously injured.
The incident took place at 11:05 am when a man walked into the Eagle Bar on the La Trobe University Bundoora campus armed with a .38-calibre revolver
and shot and wounded a young woman before shooting bar manager Leon Capraro, killing him instantly. He then attempted to shoot at others but was restrained by staff until police
came and arrested him.
The killer was thirty-eight-year-old Jonathon Brett Horrocks of Inverloch
in Victoria's southeast. Brett, as he was commonly known, had been sacked from his job at the bar in February of that year for allegedly stealing alcohol. He was heard on one occasion prior to the killing speaking about his "unfair dismissal
" and the "psychological damage" it had caused him in a mocking manner, as he waited for the results of an application for an unfair dismissal hearing to come through.
It is said that he committed the murder after his unfair dismissal charge was dismissed. He was charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 23 years. He described the incident as an "orgy of destruction".
Today there is a plaque 100 metres from the Eagle Bar in memoriam of the victim Leon Capraro and an award in his name is awarded annually to the best Tourism and Hospitality student.
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
that took place in the Eagle Bar at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 3 August 1999 in which one man was killed and a woman was seriously injured.
The incident took place at 11:05 am when a man walked into the Eagle Bar on the La Trobe University Bundoora campus armed with a .38-calibre revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and shot and wounded a young woman before shooting bar manager Leon Capraro, killing him instantly. He then attempted to shoot at others but was restrained by staff until police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
came and arrested him.
The killer was thirty-eight-year-old Jonathon Brett Horrocks of Inverloch
Inverloch, Victoria
Inverloch is a seaside village in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Bass Highway 143 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, at the mouth of Anderson Inlet, in the Bass Coast Shire and is located close to Australia’s southernmost stand of mangroves...
in Victoria's southeast. Brett, as he was commonly known, had been sacked from his job at the bar in February of that year for allegedly stealing alcohol. He was heard on one occasion prior to the killing speaking about his "unfair dismissal
Unfair dismissal
Unfair dismissal is the term used in UK labour law to describe an employer's action when terminating an employee's employment contrary to the requirements of the Employment Rights Act 1996...
" and the "psychological damage" it had caused him in a mocking manner, as he waited for the results of an application for an unfair dismissal hearing to come through.
It is said that he committed the murder after his unfair dismissal charge was dismissed. He was charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 23 years. He described the incident as an "orgy of destruction".
Today there is a plaque 100 metres from the Eagle Bar in memoriam of the victim Leon Capraro and an award in his name is awarded annually to the best Tourism and Hospitality student.