Latest news with #Thurtell
The Age
16-06-2025
- The Age
Multiple cars torched hours after ‘brazen' daylight shooting in Sydney shopping strip
Authorities have vowed to throw as many resources 'as humanly possible' at the investigation into the attack at an Auburn restaurant – which NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled 'shockingly brazen' – as the number of underworld-linked shootings climbs. The months-long conflict reached new heights on Monday, when two masked gunmen stormed into the M Brothers Family Restaurant on Auburn Road and opened fire on Azari, 26, shooting a female shop employee twice during the attempted assassination just after 1pm. Azari, who police allege has climbed the ranks of the Alameddine network to become one of its most senior members not to have fled overseas or be serving a lengthy prison sentence, was shot in the arm and shoulder, surviving the third attempt on his life in the past four months. Another man, an associate of Azari, was shot in the face, while the 50-year-old employee suffered two gunshot wounds to her torso. Azari, and the woman, not believed to be linked to the gangland figure, were taken to hospital in a stable condition, while Azari's associate remains in a serious condition. Nine reports that the woman is expected to make a full recovery. 'It's beyond comprehension that three people be shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight,' Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said on Monday afternoon. Thurtell said the gunmen had tried to access an office inside the restaurant before fleeing the crime scene in a black Audi Q7 with cloned number plates. The NSW premier declared that police were 'already hunting down those responsible'. 'We don't stand for it, and NSW Police doesn't stand for it,' Minns said. 'The NSW Police Force has levelled charges in relation to 20 of the 25 organised crime murders since 2021 and they're not done yet. 'People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged and to spend years inside small jail cells.' Monday's shooting was the second time in the past three weeks that would-be assassins have unsuccessfully tried to kill Azari after following him from a police station, where he is required to report as part of strict bail conditions. Azari, who survived assassination attempts in February and May, had reported to Auburn police station an hour before being shot, and had raised concerns about another possible attempt on his life as recently as Friday, Thurtell said. Loading 'The fact that he was out again in public, I don't know what that says, to be honest, about what he was thinking,' Thurtell said. Investigators from Taskforce Falcon, established to crack down on escalating gangland violence, are probing whether Monday's shooters are the same men who opened fire on Azari last month in Granville, killing Alameddine associate Dawwod Zakaria, 32, and injuring Parramatta lawyer Sylvan Singh, 25. Zakaria died in hospital several days after the shooting, which unfolded while the men were travelling in peak-hour traffic on Woodville Road. A day after the assassination attempt, police warned Azari was at the 'epicentre' of an ongoing feud between the Alameddine clan and rival organised crime networks, and that he could be targeted as part of a 'tit-for-tat' gangland war if granted bail on firearms offences laid after the Granville shooting. Opposing Azari's bail application last month, police prosecutor Kai Jiang said Azari had been targeted because of his 'connection and significant holding' in the Alameddine network. 'There will be further bloodshed on the streets – the streets will not be safe,' Jiang told Parramatta Local Court. Jiang said Azari had 'taken up a senior role' in the Alameddine network and had started travelling with several bodyguards after the Brighton-Le-Sands shooting. Thurtell said police held concerns a 'war' within the Alameddine network had 'imploded' and spilt onto Sydney's streets. 'It's outrageous that these people have now taken their fight to the streets of Sydney. This is not what we expect in this city,' he said. Loading 'Obviously, they're a violent organisation, and they're happy to target people that are outside their organisation or those, if necessary from within their own organisation.' The ongoing conflict and recent shootings have sparked fears of attacks in the underworld, with several Alameddine members and associates taking measures to make themselves less predictable after earlier attempts on Azari's life. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said it was 'appalling' that an innocent bystander had been injured in the shooting. 'A woman has been caught up in this event – an innocent victim doing her job,' Catley said. Loading 'It's one thing for criminals to be shooting each other, but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent, and we will not tolerate it.' Vowing to do 'everything we can to bring these gunmen to justice', Thurtell said Taskforce Falcon investigators would 'go and go and go'. 'It's completely unacceptable that this sort of behaviour should happen in Sydney,' Thurtell said.
Sydney Morning Herald
16-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Multiple cars torched hours after ‘brazen' daylight shooting in Sydney shopping strip
Authorities have vowed to throw as many resources 'as humanly possible' at the investigation into the attack at an Auburn restaurant – which NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled 'shockingly brazen' – as the number of underworld-linked shootings climbs. The months-long conflict reached new heights on Monday, when two masked gunmen stormed into the M Brothers Family Restaurant on Auburn Road and opened fire on Azari, 26, shooting a female shop employee twice during the attempted assassination just after 1pm. Azari, who police allege has climbed the ranks of the Alameddine network to become one of its most senior members not to have fled overseas or be serving a lengthy prison sentence, was shot in the arm and shoulder, surviving the third attempt on his life in the past four months. Another man, an associate of Azari, was shot in the face, while the 50-year-old employee suffered two gunshot wounds to her torso. Azari, and the woman, not believed to be linked to the gangland figure, were taken to hospital in a stable condition, while Azari's associate remains in a serious condition. Nine reports that the woman is expected to make a full recovery. 'It's beyond comprehension that three people be shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight,' Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said on Monday afternoon. Thurtell said the gunmen had tried to access an office inside the restaurant before fleeing the crime scene in a black Audi Q7 with cloned number plates. The NSW premier declared that police were 'already hunting down those responsible'. 'We don't stand for it, and NSW Police doesn't stand for it,' Minns said. 'The NSW Police Force has levelled charges in relation to 20 of the 25 organised crime murders since 2021 and they're not done yet. 'People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged and to spend years inside small jail cells.' Monday's shooting was the second time in the past three weeks that would-be assassins have unsuccessfully tried to kill Azari after following him from a police station, where he is required to report as part of strict bail conditions. Azari, who survived assassination attempts in February and May, had reported to Auburn police station an hour before being shot, and had raised concerns about another possible attempt on his life as recently as Friday, Thurtell said. Loading 'The fact that he was out again in public, I don't know what that says, to be honest, about what he was thinking,' Thurtell said. Investigators from Taskforce Falcon, established to crack down on escalating gangland violence, are probing whether Monday's shooters are the same men who opened fire on Azari last month in Granville, killing Alameddine associate Dawwod Zakaria, 32, and injuring Parramatta lawyer Sylvan Singh, 25. Zakaria died in hospital several days after the shooting, which unfolded while the men were travelling in peak-hour traffic on Woodville Road. A day after the assassination attempt, police warned Azari was at the 'epicentre' of an ongoing feud between the Alameddine clan and rival organised crime networks, and that he could be targeted as part of a 'tit-for-tat' gangland war if granted bail on firearms offences laid after the Granville shooting. Opposing Azari's bail application last month, police prosecutor Kai Jiang said Azari had been targeted because of his 'connection and significant holding' in the Alameddine network. 'There will be further bloodshed on the streets – the streets will not be safe,' Jiang told Parramatta Local Court. Jiang said Azari had 'taken up a senior role' in the Alameddine network and had started travelling with several bodyguards after the Brighton-Le-Sands shooting. Thurtell said police held concerns a 'war' within the Alameddine network had 'imploded' and spilt onto Sydney's streets. 'It's outrageous that these people have now taken their fight to the streets of Sydney. This is not what we expect in this city,' he said. Loading 'Obviously, they're a violent organisation, and they're happy to target people that are outside their organisation or those, if necessary from within their own organisation.' The ongoing conflict and recent shootings have sparked fears of attacks in the underworld, with several Alameddine members and associates taking measures to make themselves less predictable after earlier attempts on Azari's life. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said it was 'appalling' that an innocent bystander had been injured in the shooting. 'A woman has been caught up in this event – an innocent victim doing her job,' Catley said. Loading 'It's one thing for criminals to be shooting each other, but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent, and we will not tolerate it.' Vowing to do 'everything we can to bring these gunmen to justice', Thurtell said Taskforce Falcon investigators would 'go and go and go'. 'It's completely unacceptable that this sort of behaviour should happen in Sydney,' Thurtell said.
The Advertiser
16-06-2025
- The Advertiser
City shaken after three wounded in daylight shooting
A "shockingly brazen" daylight shooting on a busy Sydney shopping strip has left three people wounded and shaken the city's sense of safety, authorities concede. In the latest gangland shooting to rock Sydney, two masked gunmen entered a kebab shop in the western suburb of Auburn just after 1pm on Monday and fired eight shots. One man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and an innocent bystander - a 50-year-old female shop employee - suffered two torso wounds. The victims remained in Westmead Hospital on Monday night. The gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight, and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," Commander Thurtell said. "This is an emerging criminal investigation. We are throwing all our possible resources at it." The 26-year-old victim was believed to be the subject of two previous attempts on his life, police said. The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. While declining to identify him by name, Commander Thurtell referred to news reports identifying Alameddine crime family associate Samimjan Azari as the target of the attack. He has reportedly survived shootings at Granville and Brighton-Le-Sands. In the wake of Monday's shooting, which took place during Auburn's busy lunch hour, a crime scene was set up and roads were closed in the area for several hours. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of Taskforce Falcon, set up in late-May following a series of shootings between warring criminal gangs. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force set up to curb gun violence in the city after eight public shootings in six weeks. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time, as they should," Ms Catley said. "It is one thing for criminals to be shooting each other but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent." She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said "NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman urged action to prevent such shootings from becoming the "new normal". "Every community in NSW deserves to feel safe, and we need to come down hard on the criminals who think they can run the show," Mr Speakman told AAP. In the most shocking recent public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A "shockingly brazen" daylight shooting on a busy Sydney shopping strip has left three people wounded and shaken the city's sense of safety, authorities concede. In the latest gangland shooting to rock Sydney, two masked gunmen entered a kebab shop in the western suburb of Auburn just after 1pm on Monday and fired eight shots. One man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and an innocent bystander - a 50-year-old female shop employee - suffered two torso wounds. The victims remained in Westmead Hospital on Monday night. The gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight, and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," Commander Thurtell said. "This is an emerging criminal investigation. We are throwing all our possible resources at it." The 26-year-old victim was believed to be the subject of two previous attempts on his life, police said. The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. While declining to identify him by name, Commander Thurtell referred to news reports identifying Alameddine crime family associate Samimjan Azari as the target of the attack. He has reportedly survived shootings at Granville and Brighton-Le-Sands. In the wake of Monday's shooting, which took place during Auburn's busy lunch hour, a crime scene was set up and roads were closed in the area for several hours. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of Taskforce Falcon, set up in late-May following a series of shootings between warring criminal gangs. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force set up to curb gun violence in the city after eight public shootings in six weeks. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time, as they should," Ms Catley said. "It is one thing for criminals to be shooting each other but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent." She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said "NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman urged action to prevent such shootings from becoming the "new normal". "Every community in NSW deserves to feel safe, and we need to come down hard on the criminals who think they can run the show," Mr Speakman told AAP. In the most shocking recent public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A "shockingly brazen" daylight shooting on a busy Sydney shopping strip has left three people wounded and shaken the city's sense of safety, authorities concede. In the latest gangland shooting to rock Sydney, two masked gunmen entered a kebab shop in the western suburb of Auburn just after 1pm on Monday and fired eight shots. One man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and an innocent bystander - a 50-year-old female shop employee - suffered two torso wounds. The victims remained in Westmead Hospital on Monday night. The gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight, and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," Commander Thurtell said. "This is an emerging criminal investigation. We are throwing all our possible resources at it." The 26-year-old victim was believed to be the subject of two previous attempts on his life, police said. The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. While declining to identify him by name, Commander Thurtell referred to news reports identifying Alameddine crime family associate Samimjan Azari as the target of the attack. He has reportedly survived shootings at Granville and Brighton-Le-Sands. In the wake of Monday's shooting, which took place during Auburn's busy lunch hour, a crime scene was set up and roads were closed in the area for several hours. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of Taskforce Falcon, set up in late-May following a series of shootings between warring criminal gangs. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force set up to curb gun violence in the city after eight public shootings in six weeks. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time, as they should," Ms Catley said. "It is one thing for criminals to be shooting each other but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent." She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said "NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman urged action to prevent such shootings from becoming the "new normal". "Every community in NSW deserves to feel safe, and we need to come down hard on the criminals who think they can run the show," Mr Speakman told AAP. In the most shocking recent public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A "shockingly brazen" daylight shooting on a busy Sydney shopping strip has left three people wounded and shaken the city's sense of safety, authorities concede. In the latest gangland shooting to rock Sydney, two masked gunmen entered a kebab shop in the western suburb of Auburn just after 1pm on Monday and fired eight shots. One man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and an innocent bystander - a 50-year-old female shop employee - suffered two torso wounds. The victims remained in Westmead Hospital on Monday night. The gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight, and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," Commander Thurtell said. "This is an emerging criminal investigation. We are throwing all our possible resources at it." The 26-year-old victim was believed to be the subject of two previous attempts on his life, police said. The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. While declining to identify him by name, Commander Thurtell referred to news reports identifying Alameddine crime family associate Samimjan Azari as the target of the attack. He has reportedly survived shootings at Granville and Brighton-Le-Sands. In the wake of Monday's shooting, which took place during Auburn's busy lunch hour, a crime scene was set up and roads were closed in the area for several hours. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of Taskforce Falcon, set up in late-May following a series of shootings between warring criminal gangs. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force set up to curb gun violence in the city after eight public shootings in six weeks. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time, as they should," Ms Catley said. "It is one thing for criminals to be shooting each other but when innocent people get caught up in this, it is absolutely abhorrent." She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said "NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman urged action to prevent such shootings from becoming the "new normal". "Every community in NSW deserves to feel safe, and we need to come down hard on the criminals who think they can run the show," Mr Speakman told AAP. In the most shocking recent public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19.
The Advertiser
16-06-2025
- The Advertiser
'Beyond comprehension': triple shooting sparks manhunt
A man shot in a "shockingly brazen" daylight attack in Sydney which wounded two other people has had two previous attempts made on his life. It was "beyond comprehension" three people could be gunned down in Sydney in daylight, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. It was believed the victims were wounded when two masked gunmen entered an Auburn kebab shop and fired eight shots early Monday afternoon, he said. A man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and a 50-year-old woman, a shop employee, suffered two torso wounds, he said. The victims are in hospital. Commander Thurtell said the gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," he said. "One of the victims of the shooting, the 26-year-old male, we believe was the subject of two previous attempts on his life." The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. "This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it,'' Commander Thurtell said. A crime scene has been set up and several roads are closed in the area. Police Minister Yasmin Catley Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of task force Falcon, set up in late May after nine shootings between warring criminal gangs since the start of summer. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time as they should," Ms Catley said. She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. In the most shocking public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A man shot in a "shockingly brazen" daylight attack in Sydney which wounded two other people has had two previous attempts made on his life. It was "beyond comprehension" three people could be gunned down in Sydney in daylight, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. It was believed the victims were wounded when two masked gunmen entered an Auburn kebab shop and fired eight shots early Monday afternoon, he said. A man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and a 50-year-old woman, a shop employee, suffered two torso wounds, he said. The victims are in hospital. Commander Thurtell said the gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," he said. "One of the victims of the shooting, the 26-year-old male, we believe was the subject of two previous attempts on his life." The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. "This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it,'' Commander Thurtell said. A crime scene has been set up and several roads are closed in the area. Police Minister Yasmin Catley Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of task force Falcon, set up in late May after nine shootings between warring criminal gangs since the start of summer. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time as they should," Ms Catley said. She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. In the most shocking public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A man shot in a "shockingly brazen" daylight attack in Sydney which wounded two other people has had two previous attempts made on his life. It was "beyond comprehension" three people could be gunned down in Sydney in daylight, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. It was believed the victims were wounded when two masked gunmen entered an Auburn kebab shop and fired eight shots early Monday afternoon, he said. A man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and a 50-year-old woman, a shop employee, suffered two torso wounds, he said. The victims are in hospital. Commander Thurtell said the gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," he said. "One of the victims of the shooting, the 26-year-old male, we believe was the subject of two previous attempts on his life." The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. "This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it,'' Commander Thurtell said. A crime scene has been set up and several roads are closed in the area. Police Minister Yasmin Catley Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of task force Falcon, set up in late May after nine shootings between warring criminal gangs since the start of summer. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time as they should," Ms Catley said. She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. In the most shocking public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19. A man shot in a "shockingly brazen" daylight attack in Sydney which wounded two other people has had two previous attempts made on his life. It was "beyond comprehension" three people could be gunned down in Sydney in daylight, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. It was believed the victims were wounded when two masked gunmen entered an Auburn kebab shop and fired eight shots early Monday afternoon, he said. A man, 26, was hit in the arm and shoulder, another yet-to-be-identified male was shot in the face and a 50-year-old woman, a shop employee, suffered two torso wounds, he said. The victims are in hospital. Commander Thurtell said the gunmen tried to enter an office at the back of the shop before fleeing in a black BMW with cloned registration plates. "It is beyond comprehension that three people were shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight and the resources of the NSW police have already been deployed," he said. "One of the victims of the shooting, the 26-year-old male, we believe was the subject of two previous attempts on his life." The man had reported to police on bail an hour before the shooting. "This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it,'' Commander Thurtell said. A crime scene has been set up and several roads are closed in the area. Police Minister Yasmin Catley Catley said some of the best detectives in Australia would work the case as part of task force Falcon, set up in late May after nine shootings between warring criminal gangs since the start of summer. About 100 detectives have joined another 50 officers in the mega task force. "My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets - the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time as they should," Ms Catley said. She said her thoughts were with the people injured in Monday's violence, which had "no place in our community". "It's horrifying, it's unacceptable and it shakes the sense of safety we all deserve." Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as "shockingly brazen" and said NSW Police Force investigators are already hunting down those responsible". "People committing this kind of violence can expect to be arrested, charged, and to spend years inside small jail cells," Mr Minns said. In the most shocking public shooting, innocent plumber John Versace was executed in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Police are still searching for the men behind the 23-year-old's murder on May 19.
The Advertiser
31-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Fifth man charged over alleged looting in flood-devastated Mid North Coast
A fifth man has been charged with looting after historic flooding inundated the Hunter and Mid North Coast. Officers stopped a man in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 31, on Stevenson Street at Taree and say a search of the man's effects allegedly uncovered a string of suspected stolen items. Police say they found a television, vacuum cleaner, a slew of other electrical items and jewellery during the search, and also alleged the man was carrying methylamphetamine. The 45-year-old was taken to Taree Police Station where he was charged over the alleged drugs possession, carrying items suspected to have been stolen, and carrying "housebreaking implements". He was refused bail and faced Paramatta Local Court on Saturday via video-link where he was granted bail and ordered to return to Taree Local Court on June 17. The latest charges come after Police deputy commissioner Peter Thurtell warned on Monday, May 26, that increased numbers of officers would patrol flood-devastated areas for looters in the wake of record-breaking rainfall over the past fortnight. "The impact of this weather event has been unimaginable and to think they now have to be concerned about hanging on to whatever property they have left is a disgrace," Mr Thurtell said. "Stealing from people vulnerable during hard times like these is un-Australian." A fifth man has been charged with looting after historic flooding inundated the Hunter and Mid North Coast. Officers stopped a man in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 31, on Stevenson Street at Taree and say a search of the man's effects allegedly uncovered a string of suspected stolen items. Police say they found a television, vacuum cleaner, a slew of other electrical items and jewellery during the search, and also alleged the man was carrying methylamphetamine. The 45-year-old was taken to Taree Police Station where he was charged over the alleged drugs possession, carrying items suspected to have been stolen, and carrying "housebreaking implements". He was refused bail and faced Paramatta Local Court on Saturday via video-link where he was granted bail and ordered to return to Taree Local Court on June 17. The latest charges come after Police deputy commissioner Peter Thurtell warned on Monday, May 26, that increased numbers of officers would patrol flood-devastated areas for looters in the wake of record-breaking rainfall over the past fortnight. "The impact of this weather event has been unimaginable and to think they now have to be concerned about hanging on to whatever property they have left is a disgrace," Mr Thurtell said. "Stealing from people vulnerable during hard times like these is un-Australian." A fifth man has been charged with looting after historic flooding inundated the Hunter and Mid North Coast. Officers stopped a man in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 31, on Stevenson Street at Taree and say a search of the man's effects allegedly uncovered a string of suspected stolen items. Police say they found a television, vacuum cleaner, a slew of other electrical items and jewellery during the search, and also alleged the man was carrying methylamphetamine. The 45-year-old was taken to Taree Police Station where he was charged over the alleged drugs possession, carrying items suspected to have been stolen, and carrying "housebreaking implements". He was refused bail and faced Paramatta Local Court on Saturday via video-link where he was granted bail and ordered to return to Taree Local Court on June 17. The latest charges come after Police deputy commissioner Peter Thurtell warned on Monday, May 26, that increased numbers of officers would patrol flood-devastated areas for looters in the wake of record-breaking rainfall over the past fortnight. "The impact of this weather event has been unimaginable and to think they now have to be concerned about hanging on to whatever property they have left is a disgrace," Mr Thurtell said. "Stealing from people vulnerable during hard times like these is un-Australian." A fifth man has been charged with looting after historic flooding inundated the Hunter and Mid North Coast. Officers stopped a man in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 31, on Stevenson Street at Taree and say a search of the man's effects allegedly uncovered a string of suspected stolen items. Police say they found a television, vacuum cleaner, a slew of other electrical items and jewellery during the search, and also alleged the man was carrying methylamphetamine. The 45-year-old was taken to Taree Police Station where he was charged over the alleged drugs possession, carrying items suspected to have been stolen, and carrying "housebreaking implements". He was refused bail and faced Paramatta Local Court on Saturday via video-link where he was granted bail and ordered to return to Taree Local Court on June 17. The latest charges come after Police deputy commissioner Peter Thurtell warned on Monday, May 26, that increased numbers of officers would patrol flood-devastated areas for looters in the wake of record-breaking rainfall over the past fortnight. "The impact of this weather event has been unimaginable and to think they now have to be concerned about hanging on to whatever property they have left is a disgrace," Mr Thurtell said. "Stealing from people vulnerable during hard times like these is un-Australian."
