Yamba, NSW, shooting: Wayne Smith’s gun licence was revoked before his and son Noah’s death

A father who, according to police, shot his son before turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder-suicide had previously had his gun license revoked due to mental health concerns.

Wayne Smith, 58, allegedly shot his son Noah, 15, last Thursday afternoon while the teenager was in his bed at their family home in Yamba, on the NSW north coast.

The couple’s sudden and tragic death has rocked the small coastal community and many remember their seemingly close father-son relationship.

However, investigators found that Smith was stripped of his gun license and guns in August 2021, after he admitted to struggling with his mental health — including suicidal thoughts — while applying for a license renewal. Daily telegram reports.

The firearms registry was concerned about Smith’s health and the father was told he would have to undergo an “independent mental health assessment” before his license could be reinstated.

Just over a year later, in December 2022, he got his driver’s license back.

The experts involved in releasing the recovery are expected to be called before the coroner as the investigation continues.

According to police sources, Smith had no other “red flags” or criminal history.

However, his heartbroken elderly mother Glenda said the father had been through a few “very rough” years and she was often “worried” about him.

“It’s too damn hard. I just had the undertaker here for two hours… He was the most beautiful man on earth,” she said.

It is understood that Smith was undergoing psychiatric and psychological treatment at the time of the shooting.

A relative of Smith and Noah called the police to the family home on Thursday around 1:10 p.m. after making the gruesome discovery.

Well known in the community, Smith worked for the local Port Authority for 40 years as his family’s third generation employee at the small pilot station.

In a 2013 interview, he said he always wanted to work in the port to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“I’ve got salt in my veins, mate — I never thought about doing anything else, I’ve worked at the docks for 27 years,” he told Clarence Valley News 10 years ago.

‘Dad worked in the ports for 28 years. From memory he started at Ballina [once the second busiest port on the NSW coast] and from there, when it was closed, transferred to here.

“I grew up in the pilot house on top of the hill.

“I crossed the bar [at Ballina] when I was six months old, my son crossed the bar [at Yamba] when he was six weeks old, that’s tradition.’

Smith was also an avid fisherman, winning the Yamba Lions Family Fishing Festival as part of the team in 2016 and bonding with Noah over the hobby.

Photos posted to social media show the pair beaming with delight as they hold a huge three-foot-long fish in their front yard after a boat trip.

Like his father, Noah won prizes for fishing – he scored the encouragement prize in the Tim the Bream competition in 2017.

Noah was also successful on the sports field with his under 12 rugby union team winning their local grand final in September 2019.

The Yamba Buccaneers Rugby Club told Daily Mail Australia it was ‘devastated’ by Noah’s tragic passing and ‘our condolences are with his family, friends and former teammates at this difficult time’.

“Noah found his sporting niche in rugby union and was a valuable member of our team that won the premiership in 2019,” the club said in a statement.

A reserved, quiet kid, Noah was well respected by other players and his coaches, and was known for always “having a crack” and doing what he could for the team.

“The club has offered support to those affected and will pay tribute to Noah at our junior games tonight and the senior game on Saturday.”

Aside from football, Noah was an avid cyclist – a sport he loved to do with his mother.

Several photos posted online show the boy and his mother clad in lycra next to their bikes on rides together.

Coffs-Clarence Police District Superintendent Shane Cribb said the double fatality had rocked the small tight-knit community.

“I always think it’s more effective because everyone knows everyone else,” he told reporters.

‘I have police who know the family, I have children of police officers who actually went to the same school. If you talk about the effect this has as a whole, it affects a lot more people than we think.’

Superintendent Cribb said his priority was to ensure that the case was thoroughly investigated and that those affected by the tragedy were properly supported.

Lisa Flynn, who lives on the same street, said the community was shocked by the incident.

“My partner came home around 3pm and there were police everywhere,” Ms Flynn said.

“No one had heard anything—no shots fired, nothing.

‘You just wouldn’t expect it in this environment; there are many pensioners and single mothers here.’

She said she often saw the pair working together outside on Smith’s boat.

“It’s just unreal that it could happen so close to us,” she said.

“They had a good relationship with each other.

“I rarely saw the boy go to school, but I often saw them working on the father’s boat.”

Police do not believe anyone else was involved in the shooting while the investigation is ongoing.

Ms Flynn said that while the neighborhood is shocked by the deaths, they feel safer knowing police believe it was an isolated incident.

When contacted, the NSW Port Authority said: ‘This is a NSW Police matter and is currently under investigation.’

The company did not respond to questions about whether support measures were offered to employees.

A crime scene has been identified at the house, which will be forensically examined by specialized teams.

A full report is being prepared for the coroner.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police.

For confidential crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14