The Walsh Street police shootings took place in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia, when constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre were investigating an abandoned vehicle. They were gunned down by unknown assailants, leading to the arrest and subsequent acquittal of Victor Peirce, Trevor Pettingill, Anthony Leigh Farrell, and Peter David McEvoy for their murder. Two other suspects, Jedd Houghton and Gary Abdallah, were shot and killed by the police. In 2005, Wendy Peirce confessed that her late husband, Victor, had planned and carried out the murders. The 1980s saw a surge in armed robberies in Melbourne, with organized gangs carrying out precision robberies and acts of violence. This period also witnessed prior attacks against Victoria police officers, including the 1984 Beaumaris shootings and the 1985 Pavel Marinof shootings. These incidents marked a shift in criminal behavior, posing challenges for law enforcement in Victoria.

Walsh is a common Irish surname, meaning "Briton" or "foreigner," brought to Ireland by soldiers from Britain, including Welsh, Cambro-Norman, Cornish, and Cumbrian soldiers during and after the Norman invasion of Ireland. It is the fourth most common surname in Ireland and the 265th most common in the United States. Variants of the name include "Walshe," “Welch,” "Welsh," and "Brannagh." The Walsh family motto in Latin is "Transfixus sed non mortuus," which translates to "Pierced but not dead." It is often pronounced "Welsh" in the south and west of Ireland. The surname is associated with several recognized coats of arms, with different Walsh families in Ireland having their own unique crests and mottos. The name is also associated with various notable individuals, including athletes, politicians, entertainers, and scholars. The Walshs of Castlehale in County Kilkenny have a crest with a swan pierced by an arrow, and their motto is "Pierced but not dead." The Walshs of Carrickmines Castle, County Dublin have a crest with a demi-lion rampant and their motto is "Do not irritate the lions."

Dr. Walsh McDermott (October 24, 1909 – October 17, 1981) was an American physician, medical researcher, and public health specialist. His early career was dedicated to research on antibiotic agents against tuberculosis and syphilis, which led to his groundbreaking work on isoniazid, a drug used to treat tuberculosis, earning him a prestigious Lasker Award. Overcoming his own battle with tuberculosis, McDermott focused on public health efforts, particularly among the Navajo population, where he organized the Many Farms Project to provide essential healthcare and isoniazid therapy. He later became a professor of public health at Cornell University, where he led local projects to improve healthcare in New York City. McDermott's contributions extended to his advisory roles for the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. His dedication to public health and medicine earned him numerous accolades and positions of influence, including his appointment as Professor of Public Affairs in Medicine at Cornell University. Dr. Walsh McDermott passed away on October 17, 1981, leaving behind a lasting legacy of medical research and public health advocacy.