On 28th April 1996, 28-year-old Martin Bryant shot and killed 35 people in the popular Tasmanian tourist site of Port Arthur and its surrounding areas. He began his killing spree by killing the owners of the hotel he was staying in. He then went to the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur where he ate a meal before opening fire on unsuspecting tourists restaurant, using his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to end the lives of over 20 people in a matter of seconds. Continuing his rampage, Bryant drove around the surrounding area, chasing innocent victims and shooting them at point blank range, including women and children. Bryant then took a hostage back to his hotel where police attempted to negotiate with his demands - he wanted a helicopter to take him to Hobart Airport so he could to be flown to Adelaide. At some point during the negotiations Bryant killed his hostage. He was eventually caught when he set fire to the accommodation and ran out of the house suffering from severe burns. Bryant was sentenced to 35 life sentences without parole for each of his victims. Following the Port Arthur tragedy swift action was taken to change gun laws in the country.
—zzzorf