1955 Wickham Terrace attack

Shooting and bombing in Brisbane, Australia August 2010 December 2023 On 1 December 1955, a bombing and shooting attack took place on Wickham Terrace in Brisbane, Australia. Targeting medical professionals, two people were killed and two others were injured before the perpetrator, 38-year-old Karl Kast, killed himself at the scene. Investigators determined that Kast had acted out of resentment over failed treatment for back pain by the victims.Patient Kills Two Doctors, Blows Self Up With Bomb Ottawa Citizen 1 December 1955 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CPkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u-MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1990,6646&dq=karl-kast+1955&hl=en Contemporary newspapers referred to the attack as the "Wickham Terrace Tragedy".13 October 1956 British Medical Association News Medical Journal of Australia 2 578 Orthopaedic surgeon William J Cumming dubbed the attack the "Brisbane medical massacre" in a 2009 retrospective.Kaplan Robert M. 2018-01-22 Murder most medical: when patients kill their doctors https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/murder-medical-patients-kill-doctors/1598 Medical Republic en-US In 2018, the Brisbane Times called the incident “terrorism”. Incident On Thursday, 1 December 1955, Karl Kast boarded a taxi to Wickham Terrace, carrying a .38 calibre pistol and two boxes filled with 30 kg of explosives. In Wickham House, Kast entered the office of Dr Michael Joseph Gallagher, who was shot twice in the right arm and right side of the chest. After collapsing to the ground, Gallagher asked Kast why he had shot him, to which Kast replied "It is to do with spies" or "It is to do with spines" before shooting Gallagher a third time, striking his right leg. Before leaving the building, Kast placed some of the explosives in the building's foyer and set it on fire. A patient, George Boland, unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the fire and lost several fingers when the explosives went off.Cumming William J. July 2009 The Brisbane medical massacre* https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.04983.x ANZ Journal of Surgery en 79 7-8 530–532 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.04983.x 1445-1433http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91213176 Migrant Shoots Two Doctors, Then Suicides. The Canberra Times 2 December 1955 22 January 2015 1 National Library of Australia In nearby Ballow Chambers, Kast left his explosives in the waiting room and successively going to the offices of Dr Arthur Vincent Meehan and Dr Andrew R Murray, who were killed with single gunshots to the chest. Kast held a few present patients at gunpoint before he entered the office of Dr John Lahz. As Kast aimed at Lahz, two nurses and a receptionist placed themselves in the line of fire, causing Kast to relent. He instead ordered everyone to leave the room, after which Kast locked himself inside and ignited his remaining bombs. The resulting blast severely injured Kast, who then shot himself in the head with his gun. Paramedics recovered Kast alive, but he died the same day at a hospital.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79257400 Wickham Terrace Tragedy KILLER HAD FOUR DOCTORS MARKED FOR "OBLIVION". The Central Queensland Herald Rockhampton, Qld. 8 December 1955 22 January 2015 11 National Library of Australiahttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79257411 MAN'S MURDEROUS ATTACK ON BRISBANE DOCTORS TWO SHOT DEAD, THIRD SHOT AND IN SERIOUS CONDITION; FOURTH HAD LUCKY ESCAPE. The Central Queensland Herald Rockhampton, Qld. 8 December 1955 22 January 2015 13 National Library of AustraliaHurst Daniel 2009-11-30 Kast-ing a shadow over Brisbane's 'Doctor Street' https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/kasting-a-shadow-over-brisbanes-doctor-street-20091130-k0h6.html Brisbane Times en In 2018, an article in the Brisbane Times called it “one of Brisbane's first acts of terrorism”.The unlikely setting for one of Brisbane’s first acts of terrorism https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-unlikely-setting-for-one-of-brisbane-s-first-acts-of-terrorism-20181018-p50aha.html Brisbane Times 20 October 2018 en-AU Perpetrator thumb|right|250px|Karl KastSiegfried Karl Kast was born on 28 March 1917 in Erding,14 July 1949 Public notices https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22764535 The Argus 15 Kingdom of Bavaria. He entered Australia on 8 July 1938, while working as a fireman on the steamship Halle, which had docked at Brisbane. Kast stated that he sought asylum due to his opposition to the Nazi government.5 October 2023 Why a disgruntled patient shot dead his doctors in killing spree https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/in-black-and-white/why-a-disgruntled-patient-shot-dead-his-doctors-in-killing-spree/news-story/225878ee31cd74d76728974de717cc8c The Herald Sun With the beginning of World War II, Kast was initially charged with desertion and suspected of being a German spy, but charges were dropped for lack of evidence on 28 September. He was interned at several forced labour camps until March 1944, being noted for four escapes,14 May 1943 German internee makes fourth escape https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73105108?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FH%2Ftitle%2F225%2F1943%2F05%2F14%2Fpage%2F7102982%2Farticle%2F73105108 The Horsham Times 2 which all ended in recapture. Upon his release, he began working as a salesman in Alice Springs and obtained Australian citizenship the same year. 2016-10-18 Tragedy at Wickham Terrace - Stories from the Archives https://blogs.archives.qld.gov.au/2016/10/18/tragedy-at-wickham-terrace/ Queensland State Archives en-AU On 10 August 1954, while working as a pipelayer for Cairns City Council, Kast slipped during a work detail in Earlville, falling backwards onto a pipe. He subsequently complained of back pain, for which he visited the later targeted physicians at Wickham. The doctors all stated that Kast was exaggerating his injury and possibly malingering. Cairns State Government Insurance Office denied a compensation claim, as there were reports that Kast had sustained the injury in two earlier incidents in private. Kast later told a neighbour that he would plant a bomb at the office to bring attention to his case. 2018-10-20 The unlikely setting for one of Brisbane’s first acts of terrorism https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-unlikely-setting-for-one-of-brisbane-s-first-acts-of-terrorism-20181018-p50aha.html Brisbane Times en Aftermath A brown paper parcel was delivered to the Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch containing a letter from Kast claiming that he "did not receive justice elsewhere" and listing his four victims by name. The parcel also contained correspondence detailing his attempts to receive compensation for an alleged back injury. The tragedy was reported in the Courier-Mail on Friday, 2 December, as "...a horrible crime ...[that]...sent a shock of horror through the city and all Queensland".September 2026 Kast was buried in an unmarked grave at Toowong Cemetery.https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=148747 Brisbane City Council – Online – Grave Location Search Brisbane City Council 29 January 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120605035744/https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=148747 5 June 2012 dead See also Luigi Mangione References -27.46460 153.02508 dms type:event_region:AU-QLD title Category:1950s in Brisbane Category:Murder in Brisbane Category:1950s murders in Australia Category:1950s building bombings Category:1955 crimes in Oceania Category:1955 murders Category:December 1955 in Australia Category:Building bombings in Australia Category:Terrorist incidents in Australia Category:Suicides by firearm in Australia Category:Suicide bombings in Oceania Category:Terrorist incidents in 1955 Category:Gun violence in Oceania Category:Improvised explosive device bombings in Australia Category:Suicide bombings in the 1950s Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1955