NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended the state’s gun buyback after an 11-year-old boy was critically injured in a shooting at a unit in Norwest, Sydney’s north-west.
NSW Police said the boy suffered gunshot wounds to his face and neck on Monday evening and was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital in a critical condition.
Five other people were home at the time, including four 18-year-old men and a 44-year-old woman. None was injured.
One of the men was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence. Two other men were arrested and released pending further inquiries. The charged man appeared at Blacktown Local Court on Tuesday morning by audiovisual link and made no application for bail.
Police have said they do not yet know whether the shooting was accidental and are investigating how the firearm came to be in the home. Police said there were no firearms registered to the property and none of the people at the address held gun licences. Superintendent Naomi Moore said police initially had no information suggesting the shooting was related to organised crime.
Speaking to ABC TV, Minns described the incident as an “incredibly distressing situation” and said it was the subject of a major police investigation. He urged anyone with information to come forward.
“It’s the subject of a major police investigation,” Minns said.
The shooting has also intensified a political dispute over NSW gun laws. The state government introduced legislation after the Bondi Beach terror attack for a major gun buyback, with the scheme due to begin on 2 November.
The Liberal opposition supported a buyback last year but has since pledged to scrap Labor’s firearm ownership caps for primary producers. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has proposed a commission of inquiry into gun laws and a freeze on the buyback, while also calling for caps affecting farmers and professional shooters to be removed.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley criticised the Coalition position, saying it would leave more guns in circulation. Sloane defended the opposition’s proposal, saying resources should instead focus on identifying terrorism risks and additional policing.
The incident remains under police investigation. No conclusion has been announced about how the firearm was obtained or whether the shooting was accidental.
Source: The Guardian
