Law-Abiding Shooters Are Not the Problem: Understanding Firearms, Sport, and Violence

In the aftermath of violent incidents, public debate often moves quickly towards restricting firearm ownership or changing gun laws. These conversations are understandable. They come from shock, fear, and a desire to prevent harm. But they also risk conflating two very different groups: law-abiding firearms owners and sports shooters, and individuals motivated by extremism, terrorism, or violent ideology.

These groups are not the same. Treating them as such does not make the community safer.

Firearms Ownership in Australia Is Already Highly Restricted

Firearm ownership in Australia is already difficult by design. Licensing requirements are stringent. Background checks are thorough. Any criminal history, even seemingly minor offences, can result in a licence being refused or revoked.

Sports shooters understand this better than anyone. Many licensed shooters are acutely aware that a single mistake can cost them their licence and, with it, their ability to participate in a sport they care deeply about. It is not uncommon to hear shooters say they will not even risk a speeding fine because of the potential implications.

This is not accidental behaviour. It is the result of a system that already places a high bar on responsibility and compliance, and a community that actively supports it.

Shooting Is a Sport, Not a Loophole

Target shooting, pistol shooting, and rifle shooting are Olympic sports. They require discipline, training, supervision, and strict safety protocols. Shooting clubs operate as sporting organisations first, and access to firearms exists within that sporting context.

Clubs routinely go beyond their legal obligations. Volunteers give their time to supervise ranges, mentor new shooters, check licences, enforce attendance rules, and intervene when something does not look right. Many clubs actively discourage or exclude individuals who appear to want access to firearms without genuine participation in the sport.

This level of peer accountability is rarely acknowledged in public discussion.

Violence Is About Intent, Not Tools

History consistently shows that people intent on causing harm will find a way to do so. Firearms are not the only means by which violence has been carried out. Vehicles, planes, knives, improvised devices, and other tools have all been used to devastating effect.

The recent events in Bondi tragically highlighted this reality. The potential to harm was intended by using multiple methods, not solely firearms. Focusing exclusively on restricting lawful firearms ownership risks missing the underlying drivers of violence altogether.

Limiting legal access does not address why someone is motivated to cause harm, nor how they obtained illegal means to do so.

Law-Abiding Shooters Support Regulation and Compliance

Contrary to common assumptions, responsible firearms owners overwhelmingly support regulation, compliance, and data sharing. They understand that strong governance protects both public safety and the future of their sport.

What they object to is being collectively penalised for actions they did not commit, through measures that target lawful participation rather than illegal activity or extremist behaviour.

Making it harder for compliant shooters to participate in their sport does not prevent terrorism or ideological violence. It simply harms the people already doing the right thing.

The Real Gap Is Intelligence and System Connectivity

Where meaningful improvement can be made is in how information is connected and used.

Disjointed systems across government, clubs, and regulators limit the ability to identify patterns, relationships, and warning signs early. Better data sharing, real-time attendance tracking, and connected compliance systems can support more effective intelligence gathering without punishing lawful behaviour.

This approach focuses on:

• Identifying illegal firearms and their sources
• Understanding motivations behind violent behaviour
• Detecting concerning patterns through connected data
• Supporting timely, proportionate intervention

These are system and intelligence problems, not sporting ones.

Protecting Safety Without Destroying the Sport

Firearms should remain difficult to acquire. They already are. That difficulty is part of why Australian shooting sports operate safely and responsibly.

But difficulty should be purposeful. It should target illegal access, extremist intent, and systemic blind spots, not lawful participation in an established sport.

Penalising the most compliant and accountable group in the system does not make society safer. It risks eroding a culture that already values discipline, safety, and responsibility.

If we want to prevent future violence, we must focus less on restricting sports shooters and more on understanding intent, improving intelligence, and connecting the systems that support early detection and intervention.

That is how safety is improved without destroying a sport that has always taken responsibility seriously.

‍