Post by : Rameen Ariff

A shocking shooting incident occurred in Sydney’s Inner West on Sunday evening, leaving 20 people injured after a gunman fired dozens of bullets from a restaurant rooftop. The alleged shooter, a 60-year-old man, is in custody, and police have seized two rifles from the scene. Authorities say there are no known links to terrorism or gang activity.

According to New South Wales Police Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry, anywhere between 50 and 100 shots were fired at random, targeting passing cars and police officers. Office worker Joe Azar, who witnessed the chaos, described the moment as surreal. “Some guy’s windshield blew up, then the bus stop glass shattered. It was frantic. It all happened so quickly,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Police swarmed the area and locked down the street before entering a unit above a business to arrest the suspect. The gunman was injured during his arrest and taken to a hospital for treatment. One man self-presented to a hospital with a gunshot wound and is in serious condition, while 19 others were treated for shrapnel or broken glass injuries. Several victims required hospital care.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon called the shooting “serious and terrifying” and confirmed that the motive of the gunman remains unclear. Witnesses described a scene resembling a movie, with loud gunfire, sparks, and smoke filling the street. Tadgh, a local resident, said he was watching rugby when the shots rang out: “It was very loud and ‘bang, bang, bang’ with flash-bangs and sparks and smoke—it was something out of a movie.”

Police investigations are ongoing. While mass shootings are relatively rare in Australia, authorities remain vigilant. Australia has had a strict ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons since 1996, following the deadly Port Arthur massacre where 35 people were killed.

Recent incidents include the 2022 shooting near Wieambilla in Queensland, which killed six people including two police officers, and an ongoing case involving Dezi Freeman, accused of killing two officers and fleeing into the bush in August.

The Sydney shooting has left the community shaken, highlighting the need for continued vigilance around firearms and public safety in Australia’s cities.

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