My heart jumped into my throat, I glanced at my camera operator to check he was OK — and check he was rolling – then we both ran.
We gave chase, at the same time as three police officers who’d been manning the gates at Clarkson Primary School.
The popping sound we’d heard wasn’t gunfire.
But at the time even the police officers thought it might be.
We haven’t heard gunfire at close range often enough to know the difference in a split-second.
Panic gave way to relief that gave way to curiosity and then anger that that sound, whatever it was, had pierced the innocence of some children that day.
Left them scared and shattered their parents’ sense of security.
It wasn’t gunfire. But they knew it could have been.
The sight of a lone police officer escorting children single file back to class, where they told us they hid under desks, was tough to shake.
It was an anomaly in WA. So was the recent tragic murder in Kellerberrin and the actual school shooting in Two Rocks in May.
But that fear and panic is common overseas.
There have been more mass shootings in the US than days this year.
484, by the first week of September. Almost two a day.
Here in WA, police have recorded 43,683 assaults so far this year.
Circumstances were no doubt different in each case, but imagine if they all had immediate access to a gun.
The 28-day cooling-off period required for a firearms license in WA serves the same purpose as the time-out step in my house.
The three strikes and you’re out policy is familiar to most parents and mirrors laws that now strip convicted criminals of their guns. Soon that will apply to anyone slapped with a violence restraining order.
The State Government has already banned more high-powered weapons.
Why would you give a toddler a real knife when a plastic one will do for playdough?
There’s no need for the real deal in Perth in 2023.
Farmers need firearms, as do sports shooters, the military and the police.
But no one needs the dozen firearms that were found inside a bunker concealed under a couch in a High Wycombe house that was raided by police this year.
The State Government’s re-write of ageing firearms laws is scheduled to be introduced to Parliament before the end of this year.
Better late than never.
Premier Roger Cook says “We need to err on the side of caution”.
Governing — like parenting — should be risk-averse to maintain the sense of security we’ve taken for granted.
And always keep the safety on.
Denial of responsibility! galaxyconcerns is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
