Two men have been shot at a hairdresser in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville in what police have described as a “brazen” and “targeted” attack. Officers were called to the salon on Marrickville Road at about 1.50pm on Friday, where they found a 33-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the buttocks and a 20-year-old man with a wound to the chest.
Both victims were treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. A police spokesperson said one man was believed to be in a critical condition, while the other was in a stable condition. Witnesses reported hearing six or seven shots and seeing a man flee the scene and jump into a car.
Jeffrey Gil, owner of a nearby newsagency, said he initially thought the noise was an accident but then saw two men sitting outside the salon. “Police arrived very quickly, around eight police cars and six ambulance vehicles,” he said. “People were afraid, some jumped into my shop out of fear.”
Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald, the inner west police commander, said two vehicles found burnt out shortly after the shooting were linked to the attack. A Stinger vehicle believed to be the getaway car was located at Sydenham, while a Mitsubishi Triton was found dumped at Hercules Street in Dulwich Hill. She confirmed that Strikeforce Raptor, a specialist unit targeting bikie activity, was assisting the investigation.
Police are exploring connections to the fatal shooting of alleged drug kingpin Alen Moradian in Bondi Junction last month. “It is very brazen. And that’s why we believe it’s obviously a targeted attack. It’s not random and it was fortunate that no other member of the public was involved,” Superintendent Fitzgerald said. Several nearby businesses closed early on Friday afternoon, while one owner who remained open said the area had become “a lot softer” over the past 30 years.
