Man shot in ‘ambush-style’ attack: cops
A man is fighting for his life after an “ambush-style” shooting in Sydney’s southwest, the second to rock the city in as many days.
Emergency services were called to Niland Crescent in Blackett about 9pm on Wednesday after reports a gunman had opened fire.
Police found a 29-year-old man, who is believed to have been shot in the face, chest and abdomen.
The man was treated before being rushed to hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition while undergoing surgery.
NSW Police Superintendent Steve Egginton said the man was reversing into his driveway after returning from work when the attack unfolded.
“A number of rounds (were) fired through the windscreen of the car which impacted the victim,” he said.
“At the moment, we haven’t been able to link this incident to any other matters that have occurred recently.
“But, the investigation is in its infancy at the movement. It will progress as we find out more from members of the public.”
Superintendent Egginton said a “large-scale” investigation was now under way, but there appeared to have been only one gunmen involved.
He said officers knew “very little” about the victim prior to the shooting, and his relatives and children had been home.
A burnt-out car was found in bushland in Agnes Banks, about 25 minutes northwest of the shooting scene, shortly after the incident.
Police are investigating whether the car is linked to the shooting as well as if the shooting is linked to one only 24 hours prior.
On Tuesday night, another man in his 20s was taken to hospital after being shot in the head and chest in Campsie in the city’s southwest.
Incredibly, the man who was shot, Vailena Koalomatangi, narrowly survived another shooting in 2020.
He remains in St George Hospital, with police waiting for him to recover further before questioning him
The twin shootings mark yet more suspected cases of gang violence that has plagued Sydney through much of the year.
The violence spree that has been linked to organised crime sparked NSW Police to launch Task Force Magnus earlier this year.
The unit has launched a number of proactive operations against people with alleged links to organised crime.
The shootings have nonetheless rocked the city’s southwest, with worried residents taking to the airwaves to air their concerns.
“This crime wave is just the beginning,” one concerned listener told 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live on Thursday morning.
There have been at least 26 shootings in Sydney in the last three years.
Nearly all of them are suspected to be linked to gangs battling for control over the city’s drug trade.
Police are urging anyone with CCTV footage or information about the incident to contact Mount Druitt police or Crime Stoppers.
