Suspect Taken into Custody In the Wake of No Fewer Than 50 Shots Let Off from Sydney Residence

A 60-year-old man has been arrested in the aftermath of a shooting that injured at least one person, several persons wounded and a number of vehicles shot at by an armed individual in Sydney’s inner west.

An estimated 100 rounds were fired across a span of two hours from 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM Sunday evening in Croydon Park.

Law Enforcement Launch Large-Scale Response

Streets were closed and the vicinity was secured under lockdown as police launched a major operation in response to information an individual was randomly shooting towards drivers, encompassing law enforcement automobiles, moving along Georges River Road.

Specialist police teams were summoned to detain the male suspect aged 60 from a residence located above a commercial establishment along the busy road.

Authorities Offer An Account

Superintendent Stephen Parry in an acting capacity stated to journalists late Sunday it was unclear about the precise count of bullets let off “though estimates suggest anywhere between 50 and 100 shots which were shot”.

He stated multiple cars and buildings experienced gunfire and destruction during the incident, though a more detailed understanding was expected to emerge by morning.

Parry said the location was brought under control “fairly quickly” and praised the officers involved.

“They showed exceptional courage in doing what they did,” he stated to the press at a news conference convened in the evening.

“They were under rapid fire gun shots multiple times and deserve full recognition for what they did.”

He did not have confirmation if police discharged their firearms as well in the course of the incident.

Top Officer Details Alarming Incident

Commissioner Mal Lanyon of NSW Police said body-worn cameras from police demonstrated how close officers came to being hit while they sought shelter throughout the "grave and frightening event".

“One can hear many shots, and certainly impact, nearby the recording device,” Lanyon stated to Sydney radio 2GB on Monday morning.

A police member targeted by gunfire was a recent academy graduate just five weeks prior, Lanyon noted.

A motive for the shooting has not been established but Lanyon said there was no known link to any terrorism or gang activity.

Harm and Fallout

Emergency medical personnel attended to sixteen individuals at the scene with non-life-threatening harm.

• Certain individuals were hurt due to flying glass fragments as their windows were hit by the bullets.
• A few were attended to for shock.

Several individuals were transported to the hospital subsequent to emergency medical attention.

A taxi driver aged in his fifties was critically but steadily positioned with wounds to his neck and head.

Unprecedented Event for the City

It came down to chance that further casualties were avoided, Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King commented.

“It’s unprecedented for Sydney to witness an occurrence of this kind, with such a large number of shots fired,” he told radio broadcaster ABC on Monday morning.

“We’re very fortunate that further destruction was avoided and undoubtedly more injuries or even deaths.”

King stated it must have been frightening for residents and bystanders and the police who responded.

“What I can say is those initial police were fired upon. We have damaged police vehicles and we are extremely lucky that no police have been injured.”

Arrested Individual in Custody

The 60-year-old man remained in police custody at Bankstown hospital and was expected to be questioned and formally charged on Monday.

Firearms, including a high-calibre rifle, were taken into custody upon his detention, law enforcement stated.

Witness Report

An individual who witnessed the shooting reported to the ABC he was driving by and “detected multiple banging sounds along the left side of the taxi”.

“And then I looked next to me, and I noticed several holes on the passenger-side window,” he said.

“I was unaware there was actually a hole on the roof as well. The odor of gunpowder reached me, though I thought since it was the night of the NRL grand final, [it was] somebody throwing firecrackers or something.”