A commerce student who killed two classmates, wounded four others and shot a lecturer during a bloody rampage at Monash University, was yesterday found not guilty of murder and attempted murder because of mental impairment.
A Supreme Court jury delivered its verdict after a two-day trial in which both the defence and prosecution agreed that Huan Yun "Allen" Xiang was suffering from a paranoid delusional disorder when he opened fire on his econometrics tutorial on October 21, 2002.
The tragedy precipitated a $118 million national handgun buyback. Tougher laws for obtaining and keeping a gun were also introduced last year after it emerged that in the six months before the shooting rampage Xiang became a licensed gun owner and amassed an arsenal of seven firearms.
Justice Bernard Teague yesterday ordered Xiang, 38, to be detained for up to 25 years.
He said Xiang should go into the custody of the Thomas Embling Hospital, a high-security hospital for people with mental illness, but "regrettably" a bed was not available for several weeks.
"It is getting to the stage where politicians will have to consider that we are housing in prison too many people suffering from mental illness," Justice Teague said.
Students William Wu and Steven Chan, both 26, were killed in the shooting rampage.
Lecturer Lee Gordon-Brown - who was lauded as a hero for restraining Xiang before police arrived, despite being severely wounded - was shot in the arm and the leg.
Xiang pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder because of mental impairment.
Outside court, Dr Gordon-Brown's parents, Oxley and Joan Gordon-Brown, expressed relief that the trial was over.
"I just hope the experts got it right and he (Xiang) is not smarter than them," Mr Gordon-Brown said.
He spoke of his pride in his son, who had returned to lecturing within weeks of the tragedy. "He still has a bullet in him. He'll remember it for the rest of his life," Mr Gordon-Brown said.
Acting Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Alan Lindsay said yesterday's verdict would provide a degree of closure to this tragic chapter for the university community.
"Nothing will replace Steven Chan and William Wu, two exceptionally bright Monash honours students whose lives were cut short," Professor Lindsay said.
At 11.15am on October 21, 2002, Xiang, who was described as an excellent student, was sitting quietly reading a newspaper at the back of a lecture room on the sixth floor of the university's Robert Menzies building.
As the class of 12 students began to revise for an exam, sharp bangs were heard and students began screaming and diving to the floor in panic.
Xiang was seen standing on a desk with his arms outstretched pointing a black object and yelling: "You never understand me."
In court, forensic psychiatrist Dr Douglas Bell said Xiang believed his victims were plotting to destroy him academically and have him killed. He said Xiang described student William Wu as the "Godfather" of Monash University and believed he was the representative of all evil across the world.
"He saw it as his responsibility to do what he could to get rid of the William Wus of the world and then to kill himself," Dr Bell said.
The psychiatrist said paranoid delusional disorder was difficult to diagnose and, despite his mental illness, Xiang was able to continue operating at a high level academically.
Students and staff at the university could not have known Xiang was severely mentally ill or predicted the terrible tragedy that unfolded, Dr Bell said.
Xiang will be remanded in custody until a bed becomes available at the Thomas Embling Hospital in two to three weeks.