New South Wales police are investigating the possibility that an alleged shooting attack in Sydney’s south-west, which killed one man and injured four others, was linked to organised crime.
Police Describe Attack as Brazen and Violent
Detective Superintendent Craig Middleton stated that police believe the alleged incident in Canley Heights was “targeted,” but emphasised that the motive remains “quite unclear” at this “very early” stage of the investigation. Speaking to reporters outside Fairfield police station late on Wednesday morning, Middleton described the alleged attack as “brazen and violent.”
“We are aware of some organised crime links although I can’t confirm that at this stage,” he said. “I can also confirm that we believe that this is a targeted attack, although the motive for this attack is unclear at this stage and we’re working through a number of inquiries.”
Victims Known to Each Other
Middleton confirmed that all five alleged victims knew each other. He did not provide many details regarding how detectives believe the incident unfolded, but said police are searching for two men who entered a home on Arbutus Street, Canley Heights before “a number of gunshots” were allegedly heard.
“They fled that premises and decamped in a vehicle that has not been recovered by police at this stage,” Middleton added.
Victims Present to Hospitals
Police established a crime scene at the home after the men presented themselves to two nearby hospitals. A 28-year-old and a 32-year-old arrived at Liverpool Hospital at approximately 8:30 pm on Tuesday with multiple wounds. The younger man was treated for a gunshot injury but died a short time later. The 32-year-old remained in hospital on Wednesday morning with a neck injury, in a serious but stable condition.
At about 8:40 pm on Tuesday, two other men—a 23-year-old and a 22-year-old—presented to Fairfield Hospital in serious conditions before being transferred to other hospitals for further treatment. The 23-year-old received care for a gunshot wound to the neck, while the other was treated for a shoulder injury.
The fifth man, a 19-year-old, arrived at Liverpool Hospital approximately an hour later with injuries to his arm and remained in a stable condition on Wednesday.
“Initial information indicates the men were all injured during a shooting at the home earlier in the night,” NSW police said in a statement. Officers were seen swarming around the hospitals’ emergency wards in the late hours of the night as an investigation was launched into the incident.
