Central Coast Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Central Coast Massacre was a shooting spree killing that occurred on the evening of 27 October 1992 on the Central Coast, New South Wales
, Australia
. 45-year-old auto mechanic Malcolm Baker
killed six people and injured one other. On 6 August 1993 Baker was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the six murders.
television reported that authorities had revoked Baker's weapon's permit and confiscated a cache of weapons from him weeks prior after he allegedly harassed Gannon.
The shootings started at 9:12 p.m. at the Terrigal
apartment shared by Kerry Gannon and her 18-year-old sister Lisa Gannon, who was pregnant. Both were shot dead and their bodies were discovered inside the apartment. Their father, Thomas Gannon, 43, who had been visiting for a few days, was found dead in the street. 22-year-old Christopher Gall, a friend of the sisters, was severely injured, suffering a gunshot wound to the face.
Malcolm Baker then drove to the resort of Bateau Bay
, where he arrived about 10 minutes later, and shot dead his 27-year-old son David. His body was discovered in the back yard of the home he shared with his wife and baby.
Baker then went to a house in Wyong
, 15 kilometres north of Bateau Bay. Arriving there shortly before 10 p.m. he shot dead Ross Smith, 35, and critically injured Leslie Read, 25, at the home they shared. Read died two hours later in hospital. Smith and Baker had had a confrontation about two years prior, over a business deal gone sour.
Lisa Gannon was due to give birth to her child in December. Efforts to save her baby failed.
At 11.00 pm Malcolm Baker walked into a police station, surrendered, and handed over a shotgun. Baker was charged with six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
, 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...
. 45-year-old auto mechanic Malcolm Baker
Malcolm George Baker
Malcolm George Baker is an Australian spree killer from Terrigal, New South Wales, currently serving six sentences of life imprisonment for the shooting massacre of 6 people in Terrigal, Bateau Bay and Wyong on the evening of 27 October 1992 .Baker was one of the first six inmates of Goulburn...
killed six people and injured one other. On 6 August 1993 Baker was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the six murders.
The massacre
Baker had dated one of his victims, 23-year-old Kerry Gannon, for several years. She broke off the relationship about six weeks before the shootings. It was reported that a court had ordered Baker not to contact Gannon after their break up. Channel NineNine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
television reported that authorities had revoked Baker's weapon's permit and confiscated a cache of weapons from him weeks prior after he allegedly harassed Gannon.
The shootings started at 9:12 p.m. at the Terrigal
Terrigal, New South Wales
Terrigal is a major coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
apartment shared by Kerry Gannon and her 18-year-old sister Lisa Gannon, who was pregnant. Both were shot dead and their bodies were discovered inside the apartment. Their father, Thomas Gannon, 43, who had been visiting for a few days, was found dead in the street. 22-year-old Christopher Gall, a friend of the sisters, was severely injured, suffering a gunshot wound to the face.
Malcolm Baker then drove to the resort of Bateau Bay
Bateau Bay, New South Wales
Bateau Bay is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area. Bateau Bay lies in the area known as Darkinjung to Indigenous Australians...
, where he arrived about 10 minutes later, and shot dead his 27-year-old son David. His body was discovered in the back yard of the home he shared with his wife and baby.
Baker then went to a house in Wyong
Wyong, New South Wales
Wyong was proclaimed a town in 1888 and is currently a major northern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, located approximately 89 km NNE of Sydney. It is the administrative centre for the Wyong Shire local government area.- History :...
, 15 kilometres north of Bateau Bay. Arriving there shortly before 10 p.m. he shot dead Ross Smith, 35, and critically injured Leslie Read, 25, at the home they shared. Read died two hours later in hospital. Smith and Baker had had a confrontation about two years prior, over a business deal gone sour.
Lisa Gannon was due to give birth to her child in December. Efforts to save her baby failed.
At 11.00 pm Malcolm Baker walked into a police station, surrendered, and handed over a shotgun. Baker was charged with six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
External links
- Gunman slays his girlfriend, 5 others, Akron Beacon JournalAkron Beacon JournalThe Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
(29 October 1992) - Shotgun rampage kills 6 in Australia, San Jose Mercury NewsSan Jose Mercury NewsThe San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
(28 October 1992) - Classified ad to woman preceded slayings of six, The Kansas City StarThe Kansas City StarThe Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
(29 October 1992) - Man charged over killing of six, New Straits TimesNew Straits TimesThe New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
(29 October 1992) - Ad in aftermath of killings, Ocala Star-Banner (29 October 1992)
- Australian massacre charge, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
(29 October 1992)