Wade John Frankum was born in 1958 and lived in New South Wales, Australia. His life, prior to the massacre, was largely unremarkable on the surface, though later investigations would reveal troubling signs beneath the exterior. Frankum worked in several low-skilled occupations, including as a retail assistant and a taxi driver. He lived alone in a modest apartment and maintained a quiet, isolated lifestyle that kept him under the radar.

After his death, police discovered a disturbing array of personal belongings in his home. These included a significant collection of violent movies and books. Among the most notable finds was a heavily worn copy of American Psycho, a controversial novel known for its graphic depictions of violence. Though no direct link was made between the book and the crime, the media speculated that it might have influenced his behavior. Frankum also owned classic psychological works like Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, hinting at a fascination with themes of morality, guilt, and violence.

There was no documented history of mental illness or violent behavior, but the materials he surrounded himself with suggested a deep interest in brutality and aggression. Despite his low profile, Frankum was clearly harboring dark thoughts that eventually culminated in an act of mass violence. What triggered him on the day of the massacre remains unclear, as he left behind no suicide note or manifesto.

On August 17, 1991, Wade Frankum carried out one of Australia’s deadliest mass shootings at Strathfield Plaza, a shopping center in Sydney. The attack began at approximately 3:30 p.m., after he had been sitting quietly at a café called The Coffee Pot, drinking coffee for nearly two and a half hours. Without warning, he pulled a bowie knife from his army surplus bag and attacked two teenage girls seated behind him, fatally stabbing 15-year-old Roberta Armstrong.

Leaving the knife in her body, Frankum then pulled out a Chinese-made SKS semi-automatic rifle hidden in his bag and began shooting around the café. He fired at random but lethally, killing five more people within moments, including the café’s owner. He then moved into the mall’s main area where he killed one final victim before fleeing to the rooftop car park.

On the rooftop, Frankum confronted a woman and held her at gunpoint, demanding she drive him to Enfield, a nearby suburb. Before she could start the car, police arrived on the scene. Constable Darren Stewart was the first officer to respond. He attempted to engage Frankum from within the shopping center, but Frankum pinned him down by shooting through the door to the rooftop. Hearing more sirens approaching, Frankum reportedly apologized to the woman he had taken hostage, exited the vehicle, knelt on the ground, and fatally shot himself in the head.

The entire rampage lasted approximately 10 minutes. In total, Wade Frankum killed seven people and wounded six others, all of them strangers. Among the victims were:
Roberta Armstrong, 15
Robertson Kan Hock Voon, 51
Patricia Rowe, 37
Carole Dickinson, 47
Joyce Nixon, 61
Rachelle Milburn, 17
George Mavris, 51

His motive remains unknown to this day. Police could find no connection between Frankum and any of the victims. The massacre seemed senseless, the result of a sudden and violent break with reality. The case shocked Australia and led to increased discussion about gun control and mental health awareness.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Greg Read, a Vietnam War veteran and father of three, was awarded the Star of Courage for saving the lives of eight people during the massacre.