The sister of a gunman who terrorised two small towns in Western Australia before forcing a pub into lockdown says he was not a monster.
Nathan Sexton first launched his attack on innocent bystanders who stopped to check on a car crash on the Albany Highway in Bannister, 100km south of Perth, about 5.20pm on October 21.
He shot at two groups of good Samaritans before stealing a car and driving 30km north to the town of Merredin, where police placed residents under lockdown.
Officers found him just after midnight but he had already taken his own life.
“He’s not a monster, he’s a good person,” his sister Jessica Sexton told 9 News on Monday.
“I wish I could help him, I just want it to be a bad dream.
“I just wonder what was going through his head, how down and out he was feeling.”
Ms Sexton apologised to the families who were impacted by her brother’s crime spree and said it was something she would have to “live with”.
“It’s not fair, it’s not fair. You gotta live with that,” she said.
Ms Sexton said Mr Sexton’s mental health had recently taken a turn for the worse after he was separated from his one-year-old son Ivan, who has Down syndrome.
“He was deteriorating, you could see the hurt in his eyes. You could see the pain in his eyes,” Ms Sexton said.
She said she had no idea how Mr Sexton had obtained a gun and hoped that whoever supplied it to him was held responsible for it.
How the crime spree unfolded
Mr Sexton and an unidentified woman hid in the bushes beside the scene of a car crash on the Albany Highway in Bannister, 100km south of Perth, about 5.20pm on October 21.
A crashed red Holden Commodore sedan caught the attention of the five passengers inside a black Mitsubishi Triton ute who pulled over and tried to offer their help.
One of the ute passengers began walking over to the crash scene when a man carrying a firearm and a woman emerged from behind bushes, according to police.
The gunman allegedly fired two shots, with one bullet flying through the ute’s passenger-side window and out the driver’s-side window before the driver escaped – leaving one passenger behind.
Police say the car returned to pick up the passenger and more shots were allegedly fired at them.
None of the passengers were injured.
Soon after. a second couple pulled over at the crash scene and were also set upon by the gunman, who allegedly held them at gunpoint while he stole their gold Volvo station wagon.
The gunman and the woman then drove nearly 30km north to the town of Merredin where they allegedly began their pursuit of more victims, according to police.
About 10.30pm, police received a report the alleged offenders had followed a female driver before aiming a gun at her.
While she escaped without injury, the threat prompted police to place the town under lockdown.
At least 90 people who were enjoying Saturday night drinks at the local pub were all sent an emergency text alert sometime after 11pm.
“WA Police Force are dealing with an incident in Merredin,” the message said.
“Until this matter is resolved police request all residents secure their properties and stay inside.”
Pub staff barricaded everyone inside the pub where they anxiously awaited news.
About 11.45pm, a 24-year-old woman got out of the stolen Volvo station wagon and was taken into custody by police.
Just after midnight, the stolen Volvo came to a stop on the Great Eastern Highway.
When police approached the car, they found Mr Sexton unresponsive with head injuries. He was unable to be revived.