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Australians stunned by Minneapolis police shooting of woman

Megan O'Leary, of St. Paul, leaves a message on the sidewalk near the scene where a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed Justine Damond, of Australia, Monday, July 17, 2017, in Minneapolis. Relatives and neighbors of the Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the mysterious shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car as the woman stood outside the driver's door. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
Megan O'Leary, of St. Paul, leaves a message on the sidewalk near the scene where a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed Justine Damond, of Australia, Monday, July 17, 2017, in Minneapolis. Relatives and neighbors of the Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the mysterious shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car as the woman stood outside the driver's door. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP) Megan O'Leary, of St. Paul, leaves a message on the sidewalk near the scene where a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed Justine Damond, of Australia, Monday, July 17, 2017, in Minneapolis. Relatives and neighbors of the Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the mysterious shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car as the woman stood outside the driver's door. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

SYDNEY (AP) – Australia’s airwaves, newspapers and websites have been dominated by the death of a Sydney woman shot by police in Minneapolis.

News of Justine Damond’s death when she was shot by a Minneapolis police officer late Saturday has stunned many in her native Australia. The shooting has also fed into Australians’ darkest fears about America’s culture of gun violence.

Tuesday’s front-page headline in Damond’s hometown Sydney newspaper summarized the reaction in blunt terms: “AMERICAN NIGHTMARE.”

America’s reluctance to strengthen its gun regulations and its seemingly endless stream of shooting deaths have long confused and concerned Australians. In 1996, Australia instituted tough gun ownership laws following a deadly mass shooting. At the time, then-Prime Minister John Howard warned Australians against following America’s lead on gun control.