Yamba man Wayne Smith who shot son had gun license suspended, guns seized
The man who police believe shot his 15-year-old son in a murder-suicide had his gun licence suspended 10 months before the tragic incident.
The NSW father who allegedly shot his 15-year-old son while he was sitting on his bed had his firearms licence suspended and guns seized after he admitted to having suicidal ideation and struggles with his mental health.
On Thursday, police found the bodies of Wayne Smith, 58, and his teenage son, Noah, inside their Yamba home on NSW’s Northern Rivers. Police believe Mr Smith died by suicide after killing his son.
On Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph revealed that Mr Smith’s licence was suspended and three firearms were seized by police in August 2021; however, his licence was reinstated after he passed an independent medical and risk assessment in December.
Speaking on 2GB, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley confirmed that Mr Smith’s licence had been suspended and reinstated.
Despite criticism from 2GB host Ben Fordham, Ms Catley defended the firearms registry process as being “very robust” and “rigorous”.
She said it would now be up to a coronial inquest to “shed some light and recommend ways to improve the licence process”.
“It’s difficult to speculate what his mental health was between December and now,” Ms Catley said of Mr Smith.
“There’s a very robust process around the firearms registry and gaining a firearms licence and that process was taken.”
The Police Minister was grilled around why Mr Smith’s firearms licence was reinstated, with Ms Catley assuring Fordham the government was open to improving the process.
“People do recover from mental health episode, to be fair, and that’s why the process offers the opportunity to have an assessment by an independent medical officer,” she said.
Ms Catley conceded there was “room for improvement”.
“This process has been shocking and ended up in a very tragic set of circumstances – a death of a beautiful young boy,” she said.
“But again, the firearms registry and the licensing process is very rigorous and therefore (it is) up to us to be guided by what the coroner tells us.
“If those recommendations are that we improve, particularly around mental health, we will absolutely do that.”
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