The alleged perpetrator of Darwin’s worst mass shooting has been named as Ben Hoffmann

Ben Hoffmann

The alleged perpetrator of Darwin’s worst mass shooting has been named as Ben Hoffmann, the troubled son of a respected local family.

Police confirmed last night confirmed that Mr Hoffmann, 45, was on parole and wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet when he allegedly went on the rampage through Darwin, killing four men and injuring a woman. It is believed he was released in January.

SASCHA O’SULLIVAN

A government source said Mr Hoffmann had served four years of a six-year sentence for drug-related offences prior to his release earlier this year.

His parole had been going well, with only one recorded breach for returning home after a mandated curfew, the source said. It is understood Mr Hoffmann was employed until recently.

No charges have yet been laid and police have not described a motive for the attack.

Victim named

Meanwhile, a Darwin taxi driver has been identified as one of the victims of the city’s mass shooting.

Blue Taxi Company issued a statement confirming one of its long-term drivers had been shot dead while on a meal break.

He was named as Hassan Baydoun, who graduated from Charles Darwin University with a Masters of Information Technology last year.
Darwin taxi driver Hassan Baydoun was a victim in last night's mass shooting. Picture: Facebook

“Last night in a terrible unprecedented mass shooting, never before seen in our home town, Blue Taxis lost one of their long term beloved drivers,” the statement said.

“Our company is heartbroken and his colleagues are in a state of shock. This is not what our city stands for.

“Someone shot having a meal break while going about their own business. We pray that we never have to witness anything like this ever again.

“We mourn him and honour him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. RIP Hassan.”

A family member told the NT News that Mr Baydoun, shot dead at the Palms Motel, had lived in Darwin for 10 years.

“He was smart, very friendly, and never bothered anyone,” the family member said.

“He always had a smile on his face. What happened was senseless it’s an absolute shock.

“He always wanted to achieve something and worked hard to achieve his goals in life.”

Hoffman’s past

In 1997, Mr Hoffmann pleaded guilty to unlawfully causing grievous harm to a 28-year-old cook on a fishing boat. The two men had got into an argument over a game of pool.

The judge who sentenced Hoffmann said he had punched the cook and then kicked him after he fell to the ground.

“This crime is an example of violence for the sake of violence with extensive injuries suffered by the victim,” according to a transcript of the judge’s sentencing remarks.

“The kick inflicted on the victim when he was already lying unconscious on the ground makes this an offence of grave character with serious consequences for the victim.”

He said it was Hoffmann’s “first offence of violence” and handed him a two-year suspended sentence.

The Hoffmann family is well known in Darwin, where Mr Hoffmann’s brother and father have been involved in supporting indigenous businesses and communities.

A person who played cricket with the boys when they were younger said their mother would be devastated by last night’s incidents.

While the precise details of Mr Hoffmann’s criminal history remain unclear, he is known to have had over 50 interactions with the courts.
The alleged gunman is arrested in Darwin. Picture: ABC News

His name has been linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime groups. Associates said he had had problems with drugs and anger management.

NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said last night that the man police had in custody had been arrested after contacting the Duty Superintendent and asking to hand himself in.

Earlier in the evening, he had visited police headquarters, possibly with the same intention.

Video posted on social media showed the man being tasered at a busy intersection. It is understood he was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital under guard shortly after being taken into police custody.

Police face questions over parolee

Authorities are today facing questions about how Mr Hoffman could allegedly go on an hour-long shooting rampage through Darwin despite wearing an electronic tag. .

Police have confirmed that Mr Hoffman, 45, who is suspected of links to criminal motorcycle gangs, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet when the attack occurred. He is now in custody but has not been charged.

Officers received reports of a shooting at a CBD location shortly before 6pm last night. A short time later, they received further reports of shots fired elsewhere.

Although the timeline of events is still being pieced together, Mr Hoffman, who The Australian understands has previously been jailed for violent offences, was allegedly able to kill people at four different locations before handing himself in.

Police have established crime scenes at five locations.

NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the alleged perpetrator was “well known” to authorities.

“He’s an individual who’s well known to police and has a number of interactions … he’s well known to us,” Commissioner Kershaw said.

“He asked to be placed into protective custody.”

Witnesses have described seeing a tattooed caucasian male in a high-vis shirt walking calmly through a downtown motel shooting up room after room with a pump-action shotgun.

From there, it is believed he went to a nearby apartment building, a pub and a property in Darwin’s industrial area — firing shots at each location.

Several people recounted hearing the man calling out for someone called “Alex”.

Commissioner Kershaw said Mr Hoffman also tried to enter police headquarters, possibly in order to be arrested.

Not “the Darwin we know”

The killings have rocked the Top End community, which is unaccustomed to such public violence — particularly when allegedly perpetrated by one of its own.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the violent incidents did not reflect “the Darwin we know”

“This may be an event you prepare for, but this is never an event you want to respond to,” Mr Gunner said.

“I can confirm that we do not believe this is a terrorism-related incident.”

Police trying to determine what motivated Mr Hoffman to launch his attack.

A man living near one of the crime scenes has taken aim at the government for cutting funding for parole monitoring.

Jon Davis, who identified himself as an after-hours corrections compliance officer, posted that he had seen “first hand” the effect of those cuts.

“To save money, the current NT Government has substantially cut back on the supervision of these offenders,” Mr Davis wrote.

“Both the number of hours and the number of officers monitoring these people have been reduced despite the warnings … and behold the result.

“This shooter was one of those people who, in January, was granted parole and allowed to roam the community.”

Mr Davis said the incident had come just days after a serial rapist cut his ankle monitor and walked free from unsupervised prison cottages outside the jail walls.

That man has since been recaptured.

Four shot dead in rampage

Shortly before 7pm last night, with much of the city in lockdown, officers wearing camouflage clothing and carrying assault rifles arrested the 45-year-old man.

Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the arrest was made after the man contacted police. “He asked to be placed into protective custody,” he said.





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The deaths occurred at different locations.

One witness spoke of a victim being shot in the legs three times by a man armed with a pump-­action shotgun. Others described the gunman “blowing out” the windows of a motel ­before shooting in the face a man he ­appeared to have been looking for.

Witnesses at the Palms Motel on Finniss Street in the CBD ­reported up to 20 shots fired.

“He went to every room looking for somebody and he shot them all up,” witness John Rose told the ABC.
A bullet is seen at the back of the Palm Motel Picture: Keri Megelus

Leah Potter, who was staying at a neighbouring motel, said she heard what she thought were fireworks. “This guy came running ­towards me carrying a woman who was bleeding,” Ms Potter said.

“He dropped her on the footpath in front of us.”

Ms Potter called an ambulance and attempted to dress the woman’s wounds, while a police officer shielded her in case the gunman returned.

There were “about seven shots, bang, bang, and then a close-range shot, boom,” one witness said. “Then he came up those stairs and then he went straight for that door and blew up the door about two times and then he had another shot inside.”

Another witness reported seeing a man in a hi-vis vest with a neck tattoo stalking the motel complex with a shotgun. Police were last night also reported to be standing guard outside the Buff Club, with the body of one of the victims in the pub’s rear carpark.
Ben Hoffman is the alleged shooter. Picture; Facebook.

Another man was believed to have been killed inside a home in Jolly Street in Woolner, close to the CBD. Shots were also fired at Gardens Hill Crescent in The Gardens and a Coles Express service station in Daly Street.

A witness to the Woolner shooting said he was inside his home watching TV when the gunman broke in.

“He came right in and I asked him what he was doing but he didn’t even look at me, went right past me and shot my mate, he’s still in there,” he said.

“I thought I was dead for sure. It was unbelievable.

“I tell you what, I’m going to need a carton after this.”

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the incident was not terrorism-related. “This may be an event you prepare for, but this is never an event you want to respond to,” he said. “This has been an incredibly difficult night.”

Scott Morrison, speaking from London, said: “My advice is that this is not a terrorist act, there is nothing to suggest that is the case. This is a terrible act of violence­ that has already taken the lives of four people,” he said.




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Scott Morrison has responded to news of a shooting incident in Darwin, calling it a ‘terrible a...


The Prime Minister described the rampage as a “criminal and violen­t act’’.

“I wanted to extend my deep condolences and sympathies to all in the Territory, particularly in Darwin. This is a very tight communit­y and I know they will be rocked by this.”

Witnesses speculated that a drugs debt might have been the ­motive for the shootings. Others suggested the rampage had begun as a dispute over a woman.

Ms Potter said another woman who had seen one of the shootings had told her the gunman fired through a motel door.

“Some guy just shot a woman in both her legs (3 times), I thought it was fireworks going off,” Ms Potter posted on social media. Another witness, Matt James, said that he had been told by the partner­ of one of the victims that “he opened his door and there was this random gunman ­standing there who proceeded to unload his rounds”.
Tactical police surround a man in Darwin. Picture: Keri Megelus


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