A man is suspected of firing up to a hundred bullets in a busy district of Sydney, injuring 20 people; he is now in police custody. Police stated they have ruled out any links to terrorism or gang-related activities.
Police received reports on the evening of the 5th and rushed to a street in Sydney's inner west, where the gunman was randomly shooting at passing vehicles and police officers.
The New South Wales Police said the gunman fired “about 50 to 100 shots.”
A large number of police then surrounded the scene and sealed off the block. They subsequently entered a shop upstairs, arrested a 60-year-old man, and recovered two rifles at the scene. The man was injured during the arrest and taken to hospital for treatment.
Police said that after the incident, one man went to the hospital on his own for gunshot wounds and was in serious condition. Another 19 people were injured by bullet fragments or shattered glass, several of whom were taken to hospital.
Police said the gunman’s motive is unclear, but “there is no known evidence linking the case to terrorist activity or any gang activity.”
Office worker Aisa said he heard the sounds while working on the street opposite, at first mistaking them for fireworks or someone throwing stones at the windows.
“Someone’s windshield was smashed, then the glass at the bus stop also shattered,” Aisa said. “That surreal feeling suddenly hit me, and I realized ‘something really happened.’”