MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australian police are set on Monday to interview a man accused of opening fire from a Sydney apartment window and critically injuring at least one person, as they seek to establish his motive, while ruling out links to terrorism.
The suspect allegedly fired up to 50 shots at random from a .30-calibre rifle on Sunday night in the suburb of Croydon Park before police apprehended him, acting Superintendent Stephen Parry said.
“It is incredible that nobody died,” he told a press conference, adding that the man, who had no links to organised crime or terror groups, was expected to be charged with firearms offences.
Two people were treated in hospital, with one undergoing surgery, Parry told the briefing broadcast by the ABC, but it was not immediately clear if that tally included the suspect.
Ambulance personnel treated 14 people at the scene for shock or minor injuries, a spokesperson for NSW Ambulance said.
“The male person has no recorded mental health history with us,” he added. “He’s being assessed in relation to physical and mental health injuries overnight and this morning, and he’s been deemed suitable to return to custody.”
Police have yet to establish a motive for the incident.
Earlier, a police spokesperson told Reuters they did not believe there were terror or religious motives for the incident.
The suspect had very few recorded interactions with police over the last 20 years, Parry said.
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Comments