‘Absolutely reckless’: Narrow escape for Sydney man after home peppered with bullets

3 days ago 2

A man has narrowly missed being hit after his home was peppered with bullets in the latest spate of shootings in suburban Sydney, with police calling for an end to the “absolutely reckless” attacks that have residents living in fear.

Police believe three shots were fired from a small calibre pistol at a home on Bluegum Avenue, Prestons, in the first of two shootings at 1am on Friday, with the assailants fleeing in a white Mercedes.

Just 20 minutes later emergency services were called to an address on Greenway Drive, West Hoxton, after another three shots were fired, terrifying the family who lived in the home.

Those living at both residences weren’t known to police, with detectives now looking into the background of previous occupants. Both shootings are believed to be linked.

The attacks bear a striking resemblance to the public place shootings in the early hours of Thursday in Cabramatta and Green Valley, which included firebombing of two vehicles.

Superintendent Scott Tanner said the man inside the Prestons home was “very fortunate” to have narrowly missed the gunfire. He confirmed at least two people were behind the “absolutely reckless” shootings.

Police conduct line searches near the West Hoxton home peppered with bullets on Friday.

“There’s nothing normal about this,” Tanner said. “People should not be doing their business or whatever they’re doing at one o’clock in the morning and fear that somebody will come and attack their house.”

Tactical police were deployed to the West Hoxton address on Friday morning, and were seen conducting line searches and looking under cars and inside bins for evidence.

Tanner said the victims, which included two parents and their adult children living in the West Hoxton address, were having “quite a difficult time” understanding what had occurred.

The family had been living at the home for only a short time, according to Tanner, prompting police to speak to neighbours about the background of the property this morning.

Those behind the Thursday shootings are still at-large. Police don’t believe they’re linked to Friday’s attacks.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the four shootings witnessed over the past two days were “completely unacceptable”.

“It really does demonstrate the disrespect and disregard that organised criminals have for the community and their safety,” Lanyon told 2GB on Friday.

“Some of the houses that are targeted, in what are targeted attacks, will not have people who are even associated with organised crime, which really raises that safety risk.”

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