Individual Taken into Custody After a Minimum of 50 Shots Let Off from Croydon Park Residence

A male suspect aged 60 is now in police custody following at least one person was shot, multiple individuals harmed and a number of vehicles shot at by a shooter within the inner western suburbs of Sydney.

An estimated 100 shots echoed during a two-hour period from 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM Sunday evening within the Croydon Park locality.

Law Enforcement Launch Major Operation

Streets were closed and the area was placed in lockdown as police launched a major operation in response to information a man was indiscriminately firing towards drivers, including police cars, driving on the Georges River Road route.

The tactical operations squad was called in to detain a 60-year-old man from a unit above a business adjacent to the bustling roadway.

Police Leadership Provide An Account

Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry told reporters late Sunday the exact number was uncertain exactly how many shots were fired “though estimates suggest in the range of 50 to 100 bullets that were fired”.

He said multiple cars and buildings sustained gunshots and damage during the incident, but a clearer picture would be available in daylight.

Parry indicated the location was brought under control “fairly quickly” and praised the officers involved.

“They exhibited extreme levels of bravery in doing what they did,” he stated to the press during a press briefing held late at night.

“They were under swift shooting multiple times and deserve full recognition for what they did.”

He was unable to confirm about law enforcement returning fire during the standoff.

Top Officer Describes Terrifying Incident

Commissioner Mal Lanyon of NSW Police stated law enforcement's wearable cameras demonstrated how close officers came to being hit as they took cover amid the "critical and alarming situation".

“It's possible to hear numerous gunshots, and certainly impact, not too far from the camera,” Lanyon stated to Sydney radio 2GB during Monday.

One of the officers shot at had only been out of the academy five weeks, Lanyon noted.

The motivation for the gunfire was yet to be determined but Lanyon said no connection was identified to any terrorism or gang activity.

Casualties and Fallout

Ambulance crews cared for sixteen individuals at the location suffering from minor wounds.

• Certain individuals were hurt by shattered glass as their windows were hit by the bullets.
• Others were treated for shock.

A group of persons were taken to hospital following care from ambulance crews.

A taxi driver in his 50s was in a serious but stable condition having sustained harm to his neck and head area.

Rare Incident for the Region

Fortune played a role that additional individuals were not injured, the acting assistant commissioner Trent King commented.

“This is unheard of in Sydney to have something like this, featuring a significant quantity of discharged rounds,” he told ABC radio on Monday.

“We are extremely lucky that further destruction was avoided and undoubtedly more injuries or even deaths.”

King said it would have been terrifying for the community and responding police officers.

“What I can say is those initial police were fired upon. We have damaged police vehicles and we’re very fortunate that no officers sustained injuries.”

Arrested Individual in Custody

The individual in his sixties remained in police custody in Bankstown hospital and was due to be interrogated and officially charged during Monday.

Firearms, including a high-calibre rifle, were confiscated at the time of his arrest, law enforcement stated.

Bystander Report

One eyewitness to the shooting told the ABC he was passing through and “listened to a series of bangs on the taxi's left flank”.

“And then I looked next to me, and I noticed several holes through the window right next to – on the passenger side,” he said.

“It escaped my notice that a hole was also present on the roof. And I smelled the gunpowder, though I thought as it coincided with the NRL grand final evening, it might be someone setting off firecrackers or similar.”