Sydney Shootings: What's Going On?

Shootings in Sydney have made headlines a lot in recent weeks. So what’s going on our supposedly safe streets?

New South Wales authorities are worried a gang war is mounting after a man died in a targeted shooting in the suburb of Canterbury on Thursday.

It’s the second shooting in 24 hours and the fifth person shot this week, in escalating shootings that have claimed at least 11 lives over the past couple of months. 

Emergency services were called at 2am Thursday after gunshots were heard by residents. A man with gunshot wounds died at the scene. The 28-year-old man is yet to be formally identified and two burnt-out cars believed to be used by the gunmen have since been found. 

Just 16 hours earlier, high-profile criminal defence lawyer Mahmoud Abbas was shot in the leg and torso outside a home in Greenacre, which police labelled a targeted attack. He has since undergone surgery. 

On Sunday, three people were also non-fatally shot in Greenacre. Police said one man was the intended target and two others were hit by stray bullets.

The New South Wales Police deputy commissioner, David Hudson, said tit-for-tat shootings had increased.

“A few years ago, we had a lot of drive-by shootings and that’s escalated to actually doing targeted homicides and that is of significant concern to us,” he told 2GB Radio.

Most incidents this year have been linked to organised crime networks involved in the drug trade.

“Most of the shootings that have occurred have come down to the drug distribution networks within Sydney,” Hudson said.

Sydney consumes more cocaine per capita in than any other city in the world so there’s a lot of money to be made and a lot at stake. 

The NSW police minister Yasmin Catley promised the force was working their hardest to stop the violence.

“This latest shooting is beyond comprehension. This brazen, dangerous, and criminal behaviour is intolerable in our society,” she said in a statement.

“Police are throwing everything at investigating these attacks. They have their finest, most elite detectives in State Crime Command working around the clock.” 

She said the NSW police force has full ministerial support to properly resource the policing efforts needed to curve this ongoing escalation.

A new taskforce – Taskforce Magnus – was established on Thursday to investigate the shootings.

“Public place shootings are reckless – and criminals carrying out such attacks show a blatant disregard for, not only their own safety, but that of the community,” NSW Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb said in a statement.

“Taskforce Magnus will provide investigating officers a full suite of capabilities and an arsenal of resources to not only find those responsible, but to end this brazen violence.”

Expect to see a stronger police presence on Sydney streets.

Aleksandra Bliszczyk is a Senior Reporter for VICE Australia. Follow her on Instagram, or on Twitter.