Man Arrested After ’50 To 100′ Shots Fired From Inner West Apartment Injures Bystanders

A 60-year-old man has been arrested after at least 50 shots were fired from a residential unit in Sydney’s inner west on Sunday night. The event injured several bystanders and leaving police vehicles and nearby buildings riddled with bullet holes.

The dramatic incident unfolded on Georges River Road in Croydon Park just before 8pm, when police received multiple reports of shots being fired from the upper floor of a mixed-use building.

Over the next two hours, residents described hearing rapid bursts of gunfire echoing through the street, prompting a major police operation.

Officers from Burwood Police Area Command arrived within minutes and established a large exclusion zone. Tactical units, including the Public Order and Riot Squad, were deployed to the scene.

Witnesses told media they heard “bang, bang, bang” as bullets struck cars and windows along the street. One taxi driver described hearing loud cracks before realising his vehicle had been hit several times, with glass shattering around him.

Emergency services treated 16 people at the scene for injuries caused mostly by shattered glass and debris.

A man in his 50s, reported to be a taxi driver, was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with bullet injuries, including to his neck.

“Between 50 and 100 shots”

Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry told media it was unclear exactly how many shots were fired, but estimated there could have been “anywhere between 50 and 100 shots” discharged during the incident.

He praised the officers who responded under live fire, saying they “were under rapid-fire gunshots on a number of occasions and should all be commended for their actions”.

The siege ended around 9:30pm when tactical police entered the building and arrested a 60-year-old man without further injury. A number of firearms, alleged to include a high-calibre rifle, were seized from the apartment.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told Sydney radio 2GB on Monday that body-worn camera footage showed just how close officers came to being struck. “You can hear numerous gunshots, and certainly impacts not too far from the camera,” he said, noting that one of the officers targeted had only recently graduated from the academy.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King told The Guardian the event as “unprecedented for Sydney to have something like this, with such a large number of shots fired”, adding that police were “very fortunate that we didn’t have more damage, more injuries, or indeed fatalities”.

Investigation continuing

The alleged shooter was taken to Bankstown Hospital under police guard for assessment. He is expected to be charged once medically cleared.

“There’s nothing in relation to history, in relation to any relation to gang or other associations that would indicate why this has occurred,” said King.