Over a Dozen Wounded in Rare Mass Shooting in Sydney

A 60-year-old man is in custody after allegedly firing around 50 bullets into a busy Sydney street, wounding 16 people in what police described as a rare and “terrifying” shooting incident.

The attack unfolded on Sunday evening in Sydney’s Inner West, where the man reportedly fired randomly from his property at passing cars and police. Officers swarmed the area, locked down the street, and eventually stormed the property — located above a business — to arrest the suspect. A rifle was seized from the scene.

Witness Joe Azar, who was working nearby, said he initially mistook the sounds for fireworks.

“Some guy’s windshield blew up, then the bus stop glass shattered,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It was frantic. It all happened so quick, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on.”

Police initially estimated up to 100 shots were fired and 20 people injured, but later revised the figures.
Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry said the man fired about 50 rounds, injuring 16 people — most suffering minor wounds from shattered glass.

“In my 35 years in the police, there’s been very few incidents of this nature where somebody is randomly targeting people in the street,” Parry said.

The alleged shooter, who sustained minor injuries during his arrest, was taken to hospital. No charges have been filed yet, and police say the motive remains unknown.

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the event as “serious and terrifying,” noting there was no indication of terrorism or gang involvement.

One man who was hit by a bullet was taken to hospital and is expected to survive, while others were treated for cuts and minor injuries.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos. One local resident told the ABC network:

“It was very loud — bang, bang, bang — with flash-bangs, sparks, and smoke. It was something out of a movie.”

Mass shootings are extremely rare in Australia, where strict gun laws have been in place since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people.

The Sydney incident follows a handful of isolated cases in recent years, including a 2022 shooting in Queensland that left six people dead and the ongoing manhunt for an alleged gunman accused of killing two police officers in August.