Man Arrested In the Wake of No Fewer Than 50 Bullets Let Off from Croydon Park Unit

A man in his sixties has been arrested in the aftermath of a shooting that injured at least one person, multiple individuals harmed and a number of vehicles shot at by a gunman in Sydney’s inner west.

Up to 100 rounds echoed over a two hour window starting at 7:45 PM and ending around 9:30 PM on Sunday in Croydon Park.

Authorities Begin 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 in the direction of passing vehicles, including police cars, driving on the Georges River Road route.

Specialist police teams were summoned to arrest a 60-year-old man from a residence located above a commercial establishment along the busy road.

Officials Give An Account

Superintendent Stephen Parry in an acting capacity told reporters on Sunday night precise figures were not available exactly how many shots were fired “though estimates suggest anywhere between 50 and 100 shots which were shot”.

He mentioned multiple cars and buildings were hit by bullets and incurred damage during the incident, however, a fuller account could be obtained during daylight hours.

Parry stated the location was brought under control “relatively swiftly” and praised the officers involved.

“They exhibited exceptional courage in doing what they did,” he informed the media in a late-night press conference.

“They faced rapid fire gun shots multiple times and deserve full recognition for their actions.”

He did not have confirmation whether officers also fired their weapons during the standoff.

Commissioner Recounts Terrifying Incident

Mal Lanyon, the NSW Police Commissioner remarked body-worn cameras from police revealed the proximity of officers to being struck as they took cover amid the "critical and alarming situation".

“You can hear numerous gunshots, along with definite impacts, nearby the recording device,” Lanyon stated to 2GB radio in Sydney on Monday.

One of the officers shot at had just graduated from the academy just five weeks prior, Lanyon mentioned.

The motivation for the gunfire was yet to be determined but Lanyon said no association was found with terrorist or gang-related actions.

Injuries and Consequences

Emergency medical personnel attended to 16 people on site with non-life-threatening harm.

• Some were injured due to flying glass fragments as their windows were hit by the bullets.
• Some received treatment for shock.

Several individuals were transported to the hospital following care from ambulance crews.

A cab driver who is in his 50s was in a serious but stable condition with wounds to his neck and head.

Unprecedented Incident for the Region

It came down to chance that additional individuals were not injured, Trent King, the acting assistant commissioner said.

“This is unheard of in Sydney to experience an incident of this nature, with such a large number of shots fired,” he told the ABC radio station on Monday morning.

“We’re very fortunate that we didn’t have more damage and clearly further casualties or potentially deaths.”

King mentioned it would have been terrifying for the community as well as for the attending law enforcement.

“It can be stated that the first officers on scene were shot at. Our police cars have been damaged and we are extremely lucky that all police emerged unharmed.”

Arrested Individual in Police Custody

The individual in his sixties was held by authorities within a Bankstown medical facility and was expected to be questioned and formally charged on Monday.

Guns, such as a large-caliber rifle, were taken into custody upon his detention, police alleged.

Bystander Report

An individual who witnessed the shooting reported to the ABC he was passing through and “listened to a series of bangs along the left side of the taxi”.

“Then, I observed adjacent to me, and I saw a couple of holes through the window right next to – on the passenger side,” he said.

“And I didn’t realise there was actually a hole on the roof as well. The odor of gunpowder reached me, however, I presumed since it was the night of the NRL grand final, [it was] somebody throwing firecrackers or something.”