The son of the New Zealander killed in the Darwin shooting rampage hopes the shooter is forgiven.
On Tuesday night, four men were shot dead after Ben Hoffmann, who was on parole and wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, allegedly opened fire at several locations in central Darwin.
- Kiwi man Robert Courtney's last act, as his own life ended, to stop Darwin killer taking more lives
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- Heroic New Zealander Robert Courtney killed in Darwin shooting rampage tried to stop gunman
One of the men was 52-year-old Robert Courtney, who New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed was a New Zealander.
His son, Joseph, remembers him as a "funny, kind, and extremely generous person", who was loved by many.
"The loss of my father's life has been a sudden and extremely traumatic experience. It is with deep sadness that we try continue in day to day lives not knowing whether or not at this stage we be able to have a funeral and say goodbye properly (sic)," he said.
While Joseph said the shooting was "cold, violent and senseless", he said he hoped the victims' families "can all find it in our hearts to forgive the man who committed these crimes on our loved ones."
He told Newshub grief came in waves and sometimes what had happened didn't feel real.
"You see it on the news, you never expect it to be your family.
"You never see it coming. One day it just happens. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this whole thing."
According to Johnny Reid, a friend of Robert, the Kiwi stabbed the alleged shooter after he was shot in his home, potentially halting the man's violent rampage.
"I'm so proud of him for doing that. I think we all are. Because he stopped that guy right in his tracks, because that guy could've went on and killed a lot of other people," Reid told Newshub.
Northern Territory police commissioner Reece Kershaw said it was "a possibility," that Courtney's courageous final actions slowed the alleged gunman and forced him to hand himself in.
Reid believes his friend could still be with him if police entered their home sooner, but instead left his body unattended for at least an hour after he was shot.
"None of these guys actually went inside the house. And that's one thing that's gotta be sorted out here, because that was totally wrong," Reid said.
A GiveALittle page has been set by Robert's niece, Dante, hoping to bring his body home to New Zealand. A GoFundMe account has also been set up.
Hoffmann, who was later arrested by police, was known to authorities with a lengthy criminal history, investigators say. He was released on parole in January.
He was arrested after calling the police and asking to be placed into protective custody.
In court on Friday, Hoffmann, charged with four counts of murder, said he was sorry for what happened. The matter has been adjourned until September.
Newshub.
