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←Created page with '{{Infobox civilian attack | title = Pukekohe shooting | location = Pukekohe, Auckland Region, New Zealand | date = May 20, 1992 | type = Spree shooting, stabbing | fatalities = 7 (including the perpetrator) | perpetrator = Brian Schlaepfer | weapons = Shootgun, .22-caliber rifle, knife }} May 20, 1992 in Pukekohe, Brian Schlaepfer, 64 quarreled with his wife in the bedroom and then...' |
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{{Short description|Massacre in New Zealand}} |
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{{Infobox civilian attack |
{{Infobox civilian attack |
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| title = Pukekohe |
| title = Pukekohe massacre |
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|image= |
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{{Location map|New Zealand |
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|label = Paerata |
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|width = 250px |
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|lat_deg = -37.1650 |
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|lon_deg = 174.8939 |
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}} |
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| type = Mass shooting, stabbing |
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| fatalities = 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| fatalities = 7 (including the perpetrator) |
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| injuries = 0 |
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| perpetrator = Brian Schlaepfer |
| perpetrator = Brian Schlaepfer |
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| weapons = |
| weapons = Shotgun, .22-calibre rifle, knife |
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}} |
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On 20 May 1992, 64-year-old Brian Schlaepfer murdered six members of his family on their [[Paerata]] farm, near [[Pukekohe]], [[Auckland Region]], [[New Zealand]] before he shot himself.<ref name="Thorp" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Schlaepfer farm murders, 1992 {{!}} NZHistory, New Zealand history online|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/schlaepfer-farm-murders|access-date=9 February 2022|website=nzhistory.govt.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Christchurch mosque shootings are one of the world's worst massacres|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchurch-mosque-shootings-new-zealands-worst-since-1943/MKBTSE5HV3FZRQJBAXBVYEJTZU/|access-date=9 February 2022|website=NZ Herald|language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Auto|first=Hermes|date=16 March 2019|title=Mass shooting incidents in New Zealand {{!}} The Straits Times|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/mass-shooting-incidents-in-new-zealand|access-date=9 February 2022|website=www.straitstimes.com|language=en}}</ref> The massacre was one of the most high-profile shootings in New Zealand's history.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 September 2014|title=High profile shootings in New Zealand|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10447454/High-profile-shootings-in-New-Zealand|access-date=9 February 2022|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Crime and Punishment: Will freeing more prisoners work?|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime-and-punishment-will-freeing-more-prisoners-work/3IW7K3VTYJ7VTYJVEIAZBPCRVQ/|access-date=9 February 2022|website=NZ Herald|language=en-NZ}}</ref> |
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May 20, 1992 in Pukekohe, Brian Schlaepfer, 64 quarreled with his wife in the bedroom and then killed her with a knife. One of his sons went to the noise of a fight and was shot. Schlaepfer then went to the barn where he shot his other son. The wife of one of his sons went to the sound of gunshots from another house and was wounded by shots on the way to the house where the murders took place. She ran to her house and called the police. Schlaepfer shot and stabbed his grandson in his bed, then shot his son's wife in the kitchen while she was talking to police. He then returned to the barn where he shot his son and waited for his other son to return from work. Then he shot and stabbed him. Then he went to the bushes near the house and shot himself. His granddaughter, who hid from him, survived the shooting. He used a shotgun and a .22-caliber rifle during the shooting. He had depression before the shooting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/day-of-slaughter-on-family-farm/DKYPXDMGGW6UA4K67746Q3OWTI/|title=Day of slaughter on family farm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=10|title=The Schlaepfer Family Massacre}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/af40ab8f57156201b32d44b7d11d09ce|title=9-Year-Old Girl Praised After Massacre}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/5/20/18985077/farmer-kills-6-members-of-family-himself|title=FARMER KILLS 6 MEMBERS OF FAMILY, HIMSELF}}</ref> |
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== Murders == |
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Schlaepfer, who suffered from mild depression, quarreled with his wife in their bedroom before stabbing her to death with a knife. One of his sons went to investigate the noise of the fight and was shot. Schlaepfer then went to the barn where he shot his other son. The wife of one of his sons went from another house to search for the origin of the gunshots and was wounded by shots on the way to the house where the murders had taken place. She ran to her house and called the police on the emergency telephone number (111). |
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Schlaepfer next shot and stabbed his grandson in his bed, then shot his son's wife in the kitchen while she was talking to the police. Schlaepfer then returned to the barn where he shot his son and waited for his other son to return from work. Schlaepfer shot and stabbed him when he arrived, then went to the bushes near the house and shot himself. Schlaepfer's granddaughter, who had hidden from him in a wardrobe, survived the shooting of her mother and continued speaking to police on the emergency line for three hours, describing what was happening at the scene until it was secured by police. Schlaepfer used a shotgun and a .22-calibre rifle during the shooting.<ref name="Alpers">{{cite web |last1=Alpers |first1=Philip |title=The People Most Likely to Kill with a Gun & Eleven Years of Mass Gun Killings in Australia and New Zealand, 1987-97 |url=https://www.gunpolicy.org/documents/5347-the-people-most-likely-to-kill-with-a-gun/file |website=gunpolicy.org |access-date=19 February 2022 |date=June 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Day of slaughter on family farm|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/day-of-slaughter-on-family-farm/DKYPXDMGGW6UA4K67746Q3OWTI/|access-date=2022-02-10|website=NZ Herald|language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Schlaepfer Family Massacre|url=http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=10|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.crime.co.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=9-Year-Old Girl Praised After Massacre|url=https://apnews.com/article/af40ab8f57156201b32d44b7d11d09ce|access-date=2022-02-10|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--not stated-->|date=1992-05-20|title=FARMER KILLS 6 MEMBERS OF FAMILY, HIMSELF|url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/5/20/18985077/farmer-kills-6-members-of-family-himself|access-date=2022-02-10|website=Deseret News|language=en}}</ref> |
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== Gun control context == |
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At the time of the event, gun owners were still regulated under the [[Arms Act 1983]], which granted lifetime licences.<ref name="Swinton">{{cite book |last1=Swinton |first1=Nathan |title=A Turning Point for Firearms Regulation: Implications of Legislative and Operational Reforms in the Wake of the Christchurch Shootings |date=September 2019 |publisher=Fulbright New Zealand |location=Wellington, New Zealand |page=7 |url=https://www.fulbright.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/N-Swinton-AxfordFellow2019-Report-SEPT2019.pdf |access-date=19 February 2022}}</ref> [[Gun law in New Zealand|New Zealand legislation]] to amend the act in order to review licences every 10 years (a consequence of the 1990 [[Aramoana massacre]]) had not yet been enacted. [[Thomas Thorp]] considered the Schlaepfer murders in his comprehensive 1995 ''Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand'' for the [[New Zealand Government]].<ref name="Thorp">{{cite book |last=Thorp |first=Thomas |date=June 1997 |title=Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand |url=http://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/review-of-firearms-control-in-new-zealand.pdf |location=Wellington |publisher=GP Print |isbn=0-477-01796-7|via=police.govt.nz |author-link=Thomas_Thorp |pages=66-69, 250-251}}</ref> Thorp found that Schlaepfer had been issued with a class A firearms licence in 1984 and had no known history of mental illness or domestic violence according to police records.<ref name="Thorp"/> |
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== See also == |
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*[[Aramoana massacre]] |
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*[[Arms Act 1983]] |
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*[[Raurimu massacre]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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== Further reading == |
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* {{cite book |last1=Sell |first1=Bronwyn |title=Law Breakers and Mischief Makers: 50 Notorious New Zealanders |date=2009 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Crows Nest, Australia |isbn=9781741768961 |page=117}} |
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== External links == |
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* {{cite web |title=Case 3: Schlaepfer Family Murders |url=https://truecrimenz.com/2019/07/14/case-3-schlaepfer-family-murders/ |website=True Crime New Zealand |access-date=19 February 2022 |location=NZ |language=en |date=14 July 2019}} - Podcast |
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* {{cite web |title=20 May 1992 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections MJ_6097 |url=https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manukau/id/2829/ |website=kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz |publisher=Auckland Council Libraries |access-date=19 February 2022 |language=en}} - Auckland Libraries references to newspaper cuttings and books. |
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[[Category:1992 in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:1990s mass shootings in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:Deaths by firearm in New Zealand]] |
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Familicides]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:History of the Auckland Region]] |
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[[Category:Massacres in 1992]] |
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[[Category:Massacres in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:May 1992 crimes]] |
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[[Category:May 1992 events in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:Mass shootings involving shotguns]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:11, 12 July 2024
| Pukekohe massacre | |
|---|---|
.svg)  Paerata Paerata (New Zealand) | |
| Location | Paerata, Auckland Region, New Zealand |
| Date | 20 May 1992 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, stabbing |
| Weapons | Shotgun, .22-calibre rifle, knife |
| Deaths | 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrator | Brian Schlaepfer |
On 20 May 1992, 64-year-old Brian Schlaepfer murdered six members of his family on their Paerata farm, near Pukekohe, Auckland Region, New Zealand before he shot himself.[1][2][3][4] The massacre was one of the most high-profile shootings in New Zealand's history.[5][6]
Murders
Schlaepfer, who suffered from mild depression, quarreled with his wife in their bedroom before stabbing her to death with a knife. One of his sons went to investigate the noise of the fight and was shot. Schlaepfer then went to the barn where he shot his other son. The wife of one of his sons went from another house to search for the origin of the gunshots and was wounded by shots on the way to the house where the murders had taken place. She ran to her house and called the police on the emergency telephone number (111).
Schlaepfer next shot and stabbed his grandson in his bed, then shot his son's wife in the kitchen while she was talking to the police. Schlaepfer then returned to the barn where he shot his son and waited for his other son to return from work. Schlaepfer shot and stabbed him when he arrived, then went to the bushes near the house and shot himself. Schlaepfer's granddaughter, who had hidden from him in a wardrobe, survived the shooting of her mother and continued speaking to police on the emergency line for three hours, describing what was happening at the scene until it was secured by police. Schlaepfer used a shotgun and a .22-calibre rifle during the shooting.[7][8][9][10][11]
Gun control context
At the time of the event, gun owners were still regulated under the Arms Act 1983, which granted lifetime licences.[12] New Zealand legislation to amend the act in order to review licences every 10 years (a consequence of the 1990 Aramoana massacre) had not yet been enacted. Thomas Thorp considered the Schlaepfer murders in his comprehensive 1995 Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand for the New Zealand Government.[1] Thorp found that Schlaepfer had been issued with a class A firearms licence in 1984 and had no known history of mental illness or domestic violence according to police records.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Thorp, Thomas (June 1997). Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand (PDF). Wellington: GP Print. pp. 66–69, 250–251. ISBN 0-477-01796-7 – via police.govt.nz.
- ^ "Schlaepfer farm murders, 1992 | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Christchurch mosque shootings are one of the world's worst massacres". NZ Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Auto, Hermes (16 March 2019). "Mass shooting incidents in New Zealand | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "High profile shootings in New Zealand". Stuff. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Crime and Punishment: Will freeing more prisoners work?". NZ Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Alpers, Philip (June 1997). "The People Most Likely to Kill with a Gun & Eleven Years of Mass Gun Killings in Australia and New Zealand, 1987-97". gunpolicy.org. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ "Day of slaughter on family farm". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "The Schlaepfer Family Massacre". www.crime.co.nz. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "9-Year-Old Girl Praised After Massacre". AP NEWS. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "FARMER KILLS 6 MEMBERS OF FAMILY, HIMSELF". Deseret News. 20 May 1992. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ Swinton, Nathan (September 2019). A Turning Point for Firearms Regulation: Implications of Legislative and Operational Reforms in the Wake of the Christchurch Shootings (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Fulbright New Zealand. p. 7. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
Further reading
- Sell, Bronwyn (2009). Law Breakers and Mischief Makers: 50 Notorious New Zealanders. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin. p. 117. ISBN 9781741768961.
External links
- "Case 3: Schlaepfer Family Murders". True Crime New Zealand. NZ. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2022. - Podcast
- "20 May 1992 - Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections MJ_6097". kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz. Auckland Council Libraries. Retrieved 19 February 2022. - Auckland Libraries references to newspaper cuttings and books.