There was an trade of gunfire between New South Wales police and an alleged gunman earlier than the 60-year-old was arrested in Sydney on Sunday night time, police declare.
The person allegedly shot “about 50” high-powered rifle rounds at pedestrians, vehicles and buildings in Croydon Park over two hours earlier than he was apprehended by tactical officers.
The 60-year-old was launched from hospital into custody at Burwood police station on Monday and was anticipated to be charged with a “string” of firearm offences.
A broken bus cease on Georges River Street in Croydon Park. {Photograph}: Penry Buckley/The Guardian
Appearing Supt Stephen Parry informed reporters the person had “only a few” interactions with police over the previous 20 years. He sustained minor accidents on Sunday, together with one to his eye socket, however not in the course of the trade of fireplace.
“There was an trade of gunfire between police and the alleged offender previous to the tactical plan being initiated,” Parry informed reporters.
Parry mentioned the person, who stayed in a single day at Bankstown hospital, was “talking freely” with police after a bodily and psychological well being evaluation had deemed he could possibly be returned to custody.
The performing superintendent mentioned police had allegedly seized a single weapon – a 30-calibre rifle – from the person’s condo above a enterprise on Georges River Street. Different objects had been additionally seized, Parry mentioned.
“A few of these firearms can fireplace in fast succession,” Parry mentioned. Investigators believed “about 50” pictures had been fired, though forensic officers had been nonetheless analyzing two crime scenes on Monday afternoon.
Members of the general public mentioned they’d discovered bullet casings and reported them to forensic officers.
Sixteen individuals sustained accidents on Sunday night time, with 5 handled at hospital. A person in his 50s, initially however incorrectly recognized as a taxi driver, was pushed to hospital in a critical situation after the automobile he was a passenger in was allegedly shot.
He underwent surgical procedure for a gunshot wound to the neck and was understood to be the one individual to have sustained direct accidents from gunfire. Parry mentioned the person’s accidents had been non-life-threatening. The state of affairs for the opposite occupants of the car would have been “extremely traumatic”, he mentioned.
Parry mentioned police had no proof the incident was linked to organised crime or terrorism.
“We’ll know extra … as soon as we’ve spoken [to him],” he mentioned. “We solely have eyewitness accounts. It’s a male person who’s [allegedly] fired pictures from his residential premises.”
Parry mentioned the alleged gunman had grownup youngsters. He had “no reported psychological historical past” with police. The performing assistant commissioner Trent King mentioned on Monday the incident didn’t look like alcohol or drug-related.
Parry mentioned: “It’s unimaginable that no person has died … it’s a testomony to the tactical plans put collectively by our specialist police. In my 35 years within the police, there have been only a few incidents of this nature, the place someone is [allegedly] randomly concentrating on individuals on the street.”
Police had been investigating how the alleged gunman obtained the rifle and whether or not he had a firearms licence.
A neighbouring resident, who requested to not be named, mentioned he first heard gunshots at about 8pm. Later, he noticed tactical police soar over his fence. “It felt like a conflict zone,” he mentioned.
Enroll: AU Breaking Information e-mail
Native police responded after receiving a number of calls from members of the general public. The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, mentioned police body-worn cameras confirmed how shut officers had come to being hit as they took cowl in the course of the “critical and terrifying incident”.
Georges River Street map
“You possibly can hear quite a few gunshots, and positively impression, not too removed from the digital camera,” Lanyon informed Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.
One of many officers shot at had solely been out of the academy 5 weeks, Lanyon mentioned.
King informed the ABC “it’s unprecedented for Sydney to have one thing like this, with such a lot of pictures fired”.
“We’re very lucky that we didn’t have extra harm and positively extra accidents or certainly fatalities.”
skip previous e-newsletter promotion
Signal as much as Breaking Information Australia
Get crucial information because it breaks
Privateness Discover: Newsletters might include details about charities, on-line adverts, and content material funded by outdoors events. If you happen to shouldn’t have an account, we’ll create a visitor account for you on theguardian.com to ship you this article. You possibly can full full registration at any time. For extra details about how we use your knowledge see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to guard our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Service apply.
after e-newsletter promotion
‘It was like continuous bang bang bang’
A close-by enterprise proprietor mentioned there was initially confusion because the early bullets had been fired.
Aysegul, who requested that her surname not be used, was working the Croydon Park Kebab Home subsequent door to the condo the gunman allegedly started taking pictures from.
At first, she heard two pictures, however didn’t know what they had been. Clients contained in the restaurant continued consuming.
“Then it was like continuous bang bang bang,” Aysegul mentioned, including she may scent the dwell rounds contained in the restaurant.
Obvious bullet holes in a window on Georges River Street. {Photograph}: Penry Buckley/The Guardian
They referred to as police who informed her and her prospects to shelter contained in the restaurant, which they did till about 10pm.
On Monday, a number of bullet holes had been seen in buildings and a bus cease. Shattered glass was strewn throughout the footpath.
Specialist officers had been analyzing an awning in entrance of the window from which the gunman allegedly opened fireplace. Officers had been seen contained in the condo.
Matt Iocco, who lives regionally, arrived within the space at about 8pm on Sunday to seek out the road blocked off. He waited because the police operation unfolded.
Iocco works at a vet clinic subsequent to the condo from the place the gunman allegedly opened fireplace. It was “very scary” to suppose what may have occurred if he had been strolling by solely minutes earlier, he mentioned on Monday.
Police examine the scene of a taking pictures in Croydon Park. {Photograph}: Sitthixay Ditthavong/AAP
Michelle Baldock was at dwelling throughout the road when she heard what she thought had been firecrackers. She mentioned the pictures had been going off in bursts. “It sounded thought of,” she informed Guardian Australia.
Baldock mentioned there have been bullet holes within the home windows of her neighbour’s dwelling.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, mentioned the taking pictures “was a confronting and harmful state of affairs”.
“I need to acknowledge the unimaginable bravery of the law enforcement officials and emergency companies who responded with out hesitation to guard the neighborhood,” he mentioned on Monday.
This text was amended on 6 October 2025 on up to date recommendation from NSW police. An earlier model acknowledged that a number of firearms had been seized on the alleged gunman’s unit. Police now allege one rifle was seized.
