Man Detained Following No Fewer Than 50 Shots Discharged from Sydney Residence

A 60-year-old man was taken into custody after at least one person was shot, several persons wounded and multiple cars fired upon by an armed individual in Sydney’s inner west.

Up to 100 rounds echoed across a span of two hours between 7.45pm and 9.30pm on Sunday night in the suburb of Croydon Park.

Authorities Launch Major Operation

Streets were closed and the vicinity was secured under lockdown following the start of a significant police operation in response to information a man was indiscriminately firing towards drivers, including police cars, travelling along Georges River Road.

The tactical operations squad was called in to detain an individual in his sixties from a residence located above a commercial establishment along the busy road.

Officials Provide Details

Acting Supt Stephen Parry told reporters during Sunday evening precise figures were not available about the precise count of bullets let off “though estimates suggest anywhere between 50 and 100 shots that were fired”.

He said multiple cars and buildings sustained gunshots and damage over the course of the occurrence, however, a fuller account could be obtained during daylight hours.

Parry said the location was brought under control “fairly quickly” and applauded the involved law enforcement personnel.

“They demonstrated exceptional courage in doing what they did,” he stated to the press during a press briefing held late at night.

“They were under swift shooting during several instances and should all be commended for what they did.”

He could not verify about law enforcement returning fire in the course of the incident.

Commissioner Describes Frightening Incident

Mal Lanyon, the NSW Police Commissioner said law enforcement's wearable cameras revealed how near police were to getting shot as they took cover throughout the "grave and frightening event".

“You can hear numerous gunshots, and clear strikes, not too far from the camera,” Lanyon told radio station 2GB in Sydney during Monday.

One of the officers shot at was a recent academy graduate just five weeks prior, Lanyon noted.

The reason behind the shooting remains under investigation though Lanyon stated no connection was identified to acts of terrorism or organized crime.

Casualties and Fallout

Emergency medical personnel attended to 16 people at the location for minor injuries.

• Certain individuals were hurt from broken glass when their windows were struck by bullets.
• A few were attended to for shock.

A group of persons were transported to the hospital after being treated by paramedics.

A cab driver in his 50s was in a serious but stable condition having sustained harm to his neck and head area.

Unprecedented Occurrence for the City

It was a matter of luck that additional individuals were not injured, Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King said.

“This is unheard of in Sydney to witness an occurrence of this kind, involving such an extensive volume of gunfire,” he stated to ABC radio on Monday.

“We’re very fortunate that additional harm was prevented and certainly more injuries or indeed fatalities.”

King stated it likely was alarming for the community as well as for the attending law enforcement.

“To clarify those initial police were fired upon. We have damaged police vehicles and we’re very fortunate that no officers sustained injuries.”

Suspect in Police Custody

The individual in his sixties was under police custody within a Bankstown medical facility and was slated for questioning and formally accused on Monday.

Guns, such as a large-caliber rifle, were confiscated at the time of his arrest, police alleged.

Eyewitness Report

An individual who witnessed the shooting told the ABC he was traveling nearby and “heard a bang, bang, bang on the taxi's left flank”.

“Subsequently, I glanced beside me, and I saw a couple of holes on the passenger-side window,” he stated.

“And I didn’t realise there was actually a hole on the roof as well. And I smelled the gunpowder, but I assumed as it coincided with the NRL grand final evening, [it was] somebody throwing firecrackers or something.”