The massacre that completely changed gun ownership laws

Later this month Australia marks a sombre anniversary.

It will be 30 years since the Port Arthur massacre, when a lone gunman extinguished the lives of 35 innocent people.

In the wake of the tragedy, with a steely resolve, then-prime minister John Howard introduced some of the toughest gun laws in the world.

Australia mourned with Walter Mikac as he buried wife Nanette and daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3.

Mikac wrote to Howard but never expected a response from the then-newly appointed leader, but his letter and their exchanges triggered the actions on gun reform by the Howard government.

Survivor Carolyn Loughton was in the cafe that fateful day with her 15-year-old daughter, Sarah.

She made it out alive, taking a bullet to her back, but her teenager tragically did not.

Loughton said it took years and a lot of effort for her to be thankful that she survived.

"It's a very lonely vigil when you thought that you would live a life with children and grandchildren," she said.

In 2026, there's no question some people have legitimate reasons to own guns but this story is a grim reminder of the importance to strictly control who has access to weapons.

Forensic psychiatrist professor Paul Mullen met the gunman days after the massacre.

He was part of the investigation into the tragedy and was tasked to look into the motive of the killer.

"He looked at me and said, 'I've got the record, haven't I?'" he told Tara Brown.

"He was gun obsessed. He did it primarily because he was suicidal, he did it because he was obsessional."

Howard said the gun reform introduced during the early days of his leadership were important at the time but continued to be crucial in the present in keeping Australia safe.

"That terrible event at Bondi just before last Christmas, just imagine if those maniacs had had possession of automatic or semi-automatic weapons. Dear me, that death toll could have been higher," he said.

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