About seven people have been found dead following a mass shooting in a home in Australia. Victims include a woman and her four autistic children alongside two other adults.
The shooting took place in Osmington, near the town of Margaret River in Australia’s southwest.
Katrina Miles Cockman and her four autistic kids aged 8 to 13 were found dead at their remote farmhouse in this morning while the two other adults were found dead outside the building, but they are yet to be identified.
Police found the bodies with gunshot wounds at the property owned by Katrina’s parents, Cynda Miles and Peter Miles, in Osmington. Katrina lived on the property and home-schooled her kids on the farm
The killing comes a month after Katrina took to Facebook to write:
“My ex does not stop stalking me.”
Police are treating the incident as a murder-suicide and investigators were not looking for a suspect.
Western Australia state Police Commissioner Chris Dawson described the incident as a “significant tragedy”.
He said two firearms were found at the scene and confirmed that at least some of the victims suffered gunshot wounds. Police said they went to the property after getting a telephone call at about 5.15am this morning by a “male person” connected to the property.
The shooting is thought to be the worst mass shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which claimed the lives of 35 people and seriously injured 23 others.
Katrina has been described by friends as a devoted mum who worked tirelessly to provide for her daughter and three sons.
Speaking about Katrina, a friend told The Australian:
“I always admired her for her strength. The kids were kind, gentle, smart and beautiful children. You see them everywhere with smiles and they were never disrespectful to anyone within the local area”
