A 60-year-old man understood to be going through a marital breakdown was allegedly behind a public shooting in Sydney.
Officers arrived at Georges River Road in Croydon Park, in inner-west Sydney, shortly after 7.45pm on Sunday following reports a gunman was firing indiscriminately.
The alleged gunman has since been identified as Artemios Mintzas, a 60-year-old transport worker.
He remains in custody at Burwood Police Station and has not yet been charged.
Police believe between 50 and 100 bullets were fired from the window of a unit Mintzas was renting above a business on the street.
It’s understood he did not have a firearms licence and was previously unknown to police.
At least 16 people were injured, including two men who were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Investigators have not yet determined a motive. No link has been established to terrorist ideology or gang activity.
Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry said one of the hospitalised men, aged 50, was in a moving car when he was shot in the neck and chest.
‘They were a passenger in a vehicle which had a number of other family members in it,’ he said.
‘My understanding is that the injuries are not life-threatening and he is expected to survive thankfully.
‘All the persons in the car were adults. There were three persons in the car.’
The 50-year-old man, who transported himself to hospital, underwent emergency surgery. As of Monday, he remains in a serious condition.
NSW Ambulance paramedics also treated another three people for minor injuries before transporting them to Canterbury Hospital.
Two others self-presented to a nearby police station with minor injuries while another has been transported to a nearby hospital with unconfirmed injuries.
Paramedics were pictured attending to an individual in a stretcher at the scene of the shooting.
Heavily-armed specialist officers were able to enter the unit from which Mintzas was allegedly shooting and arrest him about 9.30pm.
‘He was arrested by specialist police officers inside the unit. The tactical plan was executed extremely well,’ Act Supt Parry said.
‘There was an exchange of gunfire between police and the alleged offender prior to the tactical operation being initiated.’
‘He suffered minor injuries to his eye socket – as the glass windows were smashed during the incident.
‘He’s being interviewed this afternoon and will be charged with a string of firearm offences.’
Several nearby buildings, cars and a bus stop were damaged during the two-hour shooting and subsequent stand-off with police.
‘This was a highly dangerous operation, and police put themselves at serious risk of death or injury,’ Act Supt Parry said.
‘One bullet went straight through the window of a police car. Had that vehicle been occupied, the officer would likely have sustained fatal injuries.
‘It’s incredible that no-one died.’
Taxi driver Nick said he had been driving in the area when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets.
‘As I was driving by I just heard a “bang, bang, bang” on the passenger side of the taxi, and then I looked next to me and I saw a couple of holes in the window and I didn’t even realise there was actually a hole in the roof as well,’ he said.
‘I smelled the gunpowder, but I assumed because it was grand final night that somebody had thrown firecrackers.
‘So I pulled up near the corner but then I thought maybe it’s not safe, because I kept hearing the shooting noises. So I pulled up near McDonald’s and I realised it was real shots.’
Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King claimed the shooting was ‘almost unprecedented in Sydney’.
Mr King labelled the incident as ‘horrific’ and explained police did not currently have a motive for the incident.
‘It’s a high-calibre rifle that he used for the incident as well,’ Mr King told Today on Monday.
‘Very, very concerning. That’s certainly part of the investigation that’s commencing today.’
Mr King said the man allegedly opened fire at officers once they arrived at the scene.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
