Man Taken into Custody In the Wake of at Least 50 Rounds Discharged from Croydon Park Residence

A male suspect aged 60 was taken into custody following a shooting that injured at least one person, several persons wounded and a number of vehicles shot at by an armed individual in the Croydon Park area.

An estimated 100 bullets were fired over a two hour window from 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM Sunday evening in Croydon Park.

Police Initiate Major Operation

Streets were closed and the vicinity was secured under lockdown following the start of a significant police operation after reports an individual was randomly shooting in the direction of passing vehicles, encompassing law enforcement automobiles, moving along Georges River Road.

The tactical police unit was called in to arrest the male suspect aged 60 from an apartment situated over a shop on the heavily trafficked street.

Authorities Provide Details

Acting Supt Stephen Parry told reporters during Sunday evening precise figures were not available exactly how many shots were fired “however, it's possible there were somewhere from 50 to 100 rounds that were fired”.

He said multiple cars and buildings experienced gunfire and destruction over the course of the occurrence, but a clearer picture would be available in daylight.

Parry said the location was brought under control “fairly quickly” and commended the participating police.

“They exhibited extreme levels of bravery through their actions,” he informed the media in a late-night press conference.

“They were under swift shooting on a number of occasions and should all be commended due to their conduct.”

He did not have confirmation about law enforcement returning fire during the standoff.

Police Commissioner Describes Frightening Situation

The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon stated officers' body cameras showed how close officers came to being hit as they took cover during the “serious and terrifying incident”.

“It's possible to hear many shots, and certainly impact, not too far from the camera,” Lanyon informed Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.

A police member targeted by gunfire had just graduated from the academy five weeks, Lanyon said.

A motive for the shooting remains under investigation but Lanyon said no connection was identified to acts of terrorism or organized crime.

Injuries and Fallout

Ambulance crews cared for sixteen individuals at the scene with non-life-threatening harm.

• A number sustained injuries from broken glass as their windows were hit by the bullets.
• A few were attended to for shock.

Several individuals were admitted to medical facilities following care from ambulance crews.

A taxi operator aged in his fifties remained in serious yet stable condition with wounds to his neck and head.

Rare Incident for Sydney

It came down to chance that more people weren’t hurt, the acting assistant commissioner Trent King stated.

“Such an event is rare for Sydney to have something like this, with such a large number of shots fired,” he informed ABC radio during Monday.

“It is very fortunate that we didn’t have more damage and certainly more injuries or indeed fatalities.”

King stated it must have been frightening for the community as well as for the attending law enforcement.

“What I can say is the first officers on scene were shot at. We have damaged police vehicles and we’re very fortunate that all police emerged unharmed.”

Arrested Individual in Detention

The 60-year-old man was under police custody within a Bankstown medical facility and was expected to be questioned and officially charged during Monday.

Weapons, among them a high-caliber rifle, were seized during his arrest, law enforcement stated.

Bystander Account

One eyewitness to the shooting reported to the ABC he was driving by and “listened to a series of bangs along the left side of the taxi”.

“And then I looked next to me, and I spotted a few openings through the window right next to – on the passenger side,” he said.

“I was unaware there was actually a hole on the roof as well. And I smelled the gunpowder, however, I presumed because it was [NRL] grand final night, [it was] somebody throwing firecrackers or something.”