Arabic version: تحقيق يكشف عن مشاكل الصحة النفسية للمطلق النار وأيديولوجيته المتطرفة
Lachlan Bowles shot his co-worker Terry Czernowski dead at their workplace in the WA Wheatbelt town of Kellerberrin in September 2023, before taking his own life. Today, an inquest into the shooting found Bowles had undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder, underlying anxiety, and was suffering severe depression. According to ABC News, the inquest also revealed Bowles carried out the shooting while wearing a Nazi armband and had been exploring extremist ideology.
Just before 9am on September 7, 2023, Bowles arrived at Moylan Grain Silos in Kellerberrin wearing a Nazi armband and camouflage clothing, armed with a pistol, two revolvers, and a rifle, all of which he was licensed to own. He fatally shot Czernowski before fleeing the scene, prompting a massive manhunt that forced the small town of Kellerberrin, 200 kilometres east of Perth, into lockdown.
Tactical response officers located Bowles in a remote field 20 kilometres north of Kellerberrin later that day, where he ended his life despite attempts by officers to peacefully negotiate with him. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Mark Hall testified during the inquiry that Bowles’s mental health had deteriorated following rejections from the Australian Defence Force in 2019 and WA Police Force in 2022.
The inquiry heard that Bowles began to question the world around him, leading him to explore extremist ideologies. Although he had an interest in history, particularly Nazi Germany, Dr. Hall did not believe this ideology was a primary factor in the murder-suicide. He suggested that Bowles’s use of Nazi memorabilia may have expressed his internal struggles.
Dr. Hall emphasized that Bowles’s suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder was not a driving factor in the tragedy. He stated, “ASD is not a prerequisite for extremism ideology nor does it lead people to this ideology,” adding that Bowles’s severe depression contributed to his distorted self-image. The court heard that Bowles had no recorded history of poor mental health, which hindered the information available to responding officers. The inquest continues.
