Osmington shooting

Osmington shooting
Location Osmington, Western Australia
Coordinates 33°54′22″S 115°13′44″E / 33.906°S 115.229°E / -33.906; 115.229Coordinates: 33°54′22″S 115°13′44″E / 33.906°S 115.229°E / -33.906; 115.229
Date 11 May 2018 (2018-05-11)
c. 4.00 am – 5.00 am (WST)
Target Members of the Miles-Cockman family
Attack type
 Murder–suicide
Deaths 7 (all)
Participant 1

The Osmington shooting was a murder-suicide in Osmington, a small village near Margaret River, Western Australia, on 11 May 2018. The shooting involved the deaths of the extended Miles family, including Peter Miles and his wife Cynda, their daughter Katrina Miles and her four children.

Katrina's estranged husband, Aaron Cockman, had been involved in a lengthy custody battle with his wife, stating Peter and Cynda had prevented him from seeing his children for six months. Police do not believe any person other than the deceased were involved with the deaths.[1]

The shooting has been treated by authorities as a murder-suicide by Peter Miles.[2] It is the worst shooting incident in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996.[3][4]

Investigation

Authorities arrived at the Miles' 30-acre farm in Osmington following a call to 000 at 5:15 am.[5] Peter Miles (aged 61) was found outside the property deceased in a chair on the veranda, his wife Cynda (58) inside the main house. Their daughter, Katrina Cockman (35) and her four children (Tay, 13; Rylan, 12; Arye, 10 and Kayden, 8) were found inside a converted shed behind the main house that served as their residence.[6] Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson confirmed that three longarm firearms were recovered at the property, all of which were licensed to Peter Miles, and that police did not believe that anyone outside the residence was involved.[7]

Aaron Cockman, estranged husband of Katrina and father to their four children, held a press conference 48 hours after learning of the deaths. Cockman said that he had been told by police that Peter Miles first shot Katrina and her four children while they slept in their beds, before shooting his wife Cynda in the living room of their home. He then placed a two minute 000 call to police[8] alerting them to the shootings, before committing suicide.[9]

On 17 May, Dawson confirmed that police had completed forensic work and that access to the property was returned to the family, but stated that the investigation would continue for several months.[10] A suicide note was also confirmed to have been found.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitbourn, Michaela; Cormack, Lucy (13 May 2018). "'Peter didn't snap. He thought this through': Father of shooting victims speaks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Margret River murder-suicide: Seven people found dead at home near WA holiday town". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 11 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Hastie, Emma Young, Hamish (11 May 2018). "Death of Margaret River family sends 'shockwaves' throughout the nation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Seven dead in mass WA tragedy". news.com.au. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  5. ↑ Phillips, Kristine; Bever, Lindsey (13 May 2018). "Osmington, Australia, shooting: Peter Miles planned killings, father says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Kan, Janita (13 May 2018). "Australian Police Reveal Details Of Horrific Shooting Which Left 4 Children, 3 Adults dead". The Epoch Times. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  7. ↑ Cormack, Lucy (12 May 2018). "Margaret river shooting: Two-minute triple zero call key to murder-suicide". WA Today. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  8. ↑ Cormack, Lucy (18 May 2018). "Margaret River shooting: Police investigation turns from who did this, to why". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Carnody, James (14 May 2018). "Margaret River murder-suicides: Peter Miles's Heartache blamed for unspeakable violence". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Hickey, Phil (17 May 2018). "Osmington police investigation will go on for months: Commissioner". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Father of murdered Magaret River family reveals suicide note". SBS News. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
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