A huge manhunt has been launched by police after a 44 year old man was shot dead inside a house in Western Sydney renewing concerns about gun violence in suburban neighborhoods.
A man is dead in an apparent shooting at a residential property in Western Sydney with homicide detectives working to identify the shooter and establish a motive as investigators comb the area for evidence.
Emergency services were called to the home after reports of gunfire. Paramedics attempted to treat the man but he died at the scene.
Police established a crime scene and door knocked nearby properties as part of their initial inquiries.
NSW Police later confirmed the old man had suffered gunshot wounds and that a targeted attack was one line of inquiry.
As of the latest update, no arrests had been made and investigators have appealed for any witnesses and dash cam footage from surrounding streets.
The police believe that the suspect left the region soon after the shooting took place. There has been no official description of the suspect yet.
This is because the investigation is still at a rudimentary level, special officers were involved overnight to handle the situation.
The shooting has shocked the residents in the quiet suburban pocket many of whom expressed their shock at the event.
There have been periodic outbreaks of shooting incidents in western Sydney in recent years related to organized crime feuds, although Police warn that it is premature to draw conclusions.
Senior police officers reported that the incident was seems to be an isolated incident and that the safety of the wider community was not under any active threat.
Increased police patrols were put in place in the area as a precaution.
The shooting places fresh focus on gun crime and community safety across Sydney’s west, an area home to more than two million people and a key political battleground.
State and federal governments have previously pointed to tough gun laws and dedicated strike forces as evidence of progress even as high profile shootings continue to occur sporadically.
Criminologists say that, while the Australian rate remains low by international standards targeted shootings can also have an outsized impact on public confidence particularly when private homes rather than public venues are attacked.
For the investigators, the first order of business is piecing together the last movements of both the victim and the suspected gunman.
For them, this means examining the CCTV cameras from homes and businesses in the area, mobile phone records and connections between the victim and criminal groups.
There has been no indication from the police of the suspect’s previous involvement with them.
People who might have been around at the time of the shootings or may have noticed or overheard something suspicious have been asked to come forward.
The police have emphasized that even minute details could be very important at this point of the manhunt.
As the case is still under ongoing investigations more details are expected from the detectives.
