Australia news live: police say masked gunmen shot three people at kebab shop in Sydney’s west

Police say masked gunmen shot three people at kebab shop in Sydney’s west

Acting commissioner Peter Thurtell said it was believed one of the victims of the shooting was the subject of two previous attempts on his life.

It’s beyond comprehension that three people [would] be shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight … We will be deploying as many people as humanly possible to apprehend these offenders.

Thurtell alleged at around 1.10pm, two masked gunmen walked into a kebab shop in Auburn and fired eight shots. As a result, he alleged a 26-year-old man was shot in the arm and shoulder. Another unknown man was shot in the face and a 50-year-old woman who was employed at the shop was shot twice in the torso.

All victims have been taken to hospital.

What we do know is shortly after the shootings, the two offenders attempted to get into an office in the back of the building without success and then left in a black BMW vehicle with cloned plates.

Police believe the 26-year-old male who was shot was the subject of two previous attempts on his life. Approximately an hour before the shooting, he reported to police on bail, Thurtell said.

This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it. And as further information comes to light, we will let you know what’s happening.

Key events

Caitlin Cassidy

Just circling back to that press conference about the public shooting in western Sydney earlier today with some additional information about the incident.

Addressing the media earlier this afternoon, acting police commissioner Peter Thurtell ndirectly confirmed that Samimjan Azari was one of the victims of the shooting.

When pointed by a reporter to recommendations made by police in May that Azari not be put on bail for “fear of bloodshed”, Thurtell replied:

He’s had two previous attempts on his life, so I’ve got no doubt that he did expect it.

We have spoken to him as recently as Friday … where he expressed concern about the previous attempts on his life. So the fact that he was out again in public, I don’t know what that says, to be honest about what he’s thinking.

Asked if police were concerned about a “new war” brewing with a criminal network Thurtell said “yes, of course”. He said:

Obviously they are a violent organisation and they’re happy to target people that are outside their organisation or those that are, if necessary, from within their own organisation.

So it’s concerning that this war has, I suppose, imploded.

Sussan Ley says shooting a ‘tragic day for Tasmania and for our nation’

The leader of the federal opposition, Sussan Ley, has also released a statement on the Tasmanian police officer’s shooting death.

Ley said it was “a tragic day for Tasmania and for our nation” and that:

The loss of a police officer in the line of duty is a solemn reminder of the risks our police face to keep us safe.

My thoughts are with the officer’s family, friends and colleagues.

We owe a debt to our police who willingly go towards danger to keep us safe. We can never forget their service and sacrifice.

Tasmanian premier pays tribute to police officer who died ‘in the line of duty’

We’re still waiting to bring you the details of the police press conference that was expected in Tasmania about 4.30pm.

In the meantime, the Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff, has posted on X confirming that a police officer died today “in the line of duty”.

In the post, Rockliff said:

Tasmania Police will have more to say shortly, however I just wanted to say this.

To everyone who had the honour of knowing this officer, especially his family and his colleagues. The love of an entire state is with you today.

And you will have every possible support made available, as we come to grips with this heartbreaking tragedy.

Tory Shepherd

Israeli ambassador cancels plans to visit Adelaide and speak to South Australian parliament

Israel’s ambassador to Australia has cancelled a planned trip to Adelaide amid local outrage over the crisis in the Middle East.

Amir Maimon seemed to disparage calls for diplomacy on the weekend, saying: “Yet some still urge diplomacy, as if words can stop warheads”, after foreign affairs minister Penny Wong had called for a “return to dialogue”.

Maimon was due to address the South Australian parliament on Tuesday but it is understood he withdrew due to security concerns.

The Australian Friends of Palestine had organised a protest on the steps of parliament, but it is not known if that was the source of his concerns. Guardian Australia has contacted the embassy for comment.

Last week, the SA Parliamentary Friends of Israel invited members to an event where Maimon was to be the guest speaker. Greens MLC Robert Simms asked the group to reconsider that event in light of the “ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank”.

Catie McLeod

Hi, I’m here to take you through the rest of the day’s news. We will bring you the latest on the fatal shooting of a police officer in Tasmania shortly.

With that, I will hand the blog over to Catie McLeod who will keep you abreast of the news for the remainder of the day, including an expected update on the fatal shooting of a police officer in Tasmania at 4.30pm.

Police investigating whether today’s incident in Auburn is linked to previous shootings

Thurtell did not confirm the name of the man who allegedly had two previous attempts on his life but said it had been “reported in the papers” and police were investigating whether today’s incident was linked to previous shootings.

What I can say is that when the 26-year-old reported on bail about an hour beforehand, he was in the company of another male. Whether the second person that was shot is that same male [who accompanied him to the police station], we’re yet to conclude.

Thurtell said the investigation “may go beyond” just the two gunmen present at the scene. He confirmed witnesses at the scene had seen a black Audi which was believed to be the vehicle the two gunmen left in.

On the state of the victims, he said the male that was shot in the face “is in a bad way”.

Police have spoken to the female and the 26-year-old man was shot in the arm and shoulder.

Auburn shooting ‘completely unacceptable’, police say

Asked how much of an “escalation” the incident was to have happened on a suburban street in the middle of the day, Thurtell said it was “completely unacceptable that this sort of behaviour should happen in Sydney”.

We will do everything we can to bring these gunman to justice. It’s as simple as that. Strike Force Falcon has no end date. We will make sure that we go and go until we bring these people to justice.

Police say masked gunmen shot three people at kebab shop in Sydney’s west

Acting commissioner Peter Thurtell said it was believed one of the victims of the shooting was the subject of two previous attempts on his life.

It’s beyond comprehension that three people [would] be shot in a crowded Sydney street in broad daylight … We will be deploying as many people as humanly possible to apprehend these offenders.

All victims have been taken to hospital.

What we do know is shortly after the shootings, the two offenders attempted to get into an office in the back of the building without success and then left in a black BMW vehicle with cloned plates.

Police believe the 26-year-old male who was shot was the subject of two previous attempts on his life. Approximately an hour before the shooting, he reported to police on bail, Thurtell said.

This is an emerging criminal investigation, we are throwing all our possible resources at it. And as further information comes to light, we will let you know what’s happening.

Police say ‘innocent victim’ doing her job was caught up in ‘shocking’ shooting in Auburn

Authorities are addressing the media after a public shooting in Auburn, western Sydney earlier today. The premier, Chris Minns, described the incident, which has injured three people, as “shockingly brazen”.

The police minister, Yasmin Catley, said an “innocent victim” doing her job was one of the people caught up in the “shocking event”.

We will not tolerate it.

She said since Strike Force Falcon had been set up less than a month ago, 23 people had been arrested.

My message to anyone out there going to be doing these place-based shootings on our streets [is] the police will get you and they will lock you up for a very long time, as they should.

No arrests had been made.

Benita Kolovos

Victorian MPs hear about ‘really exciting’ possible new treatment for MND

The Florey Institute’s Prof Bradley Turner has told MPs at state parliament’s first “big freeze” that funding from the state government and Fight MND has allowed a world-first drug screening trial to occur. He says the trial uses patients’ stem cells to test whether potential treatments can keep motor neurons alive, and there have been some developments:

Using this technology we have now screened thousand of off the shelf medications, and we’re very excited to tell you that we do have one promising drug candidate for MND, but not only that, when we combine it with two other drugs, it’s even more effective. We call this a triple drug treatment, or drug trio, and we think that this drug trio is probably six times more effective than the standard of care drug for MND.

So this is this is really exciting and encouraging, and we’re very excited to try and launch clinical trials of this drug combination.

Labor’s Emma Vulin, who today’s event is in support of, says the research at Florey gives her “hope”. She says she’s so grateful for the parliament’s support of her:

It continues to amaze me, the support that I have here in my workplace … I feel very privileged and I know that’s not the case for a lot of people impacted by motor neuron disease, but to come here and have the parliament make so many changes, to make this place more accessible and to have the support of all my colleagues from any political party is quite amazing. I feel very, very lucky.

Here’s more on her story:

Benita Kolovos

Victorian MPs in ‘big freeze’ to raise funds to fight MND

Victorian MPs including deputy premier, Ben Carroll, and opposition leader, Brad Battin, are taking part in a “big freeze” at parliament in support of Labor’s Emma Vulin, who was diagnosed with MND last year.

Both dressed in their football club colours (Carroll in North Melbourne and Battin in Geelong for those wondering), the duo are about to be dunked into icy water on an afternoon in Melbourne that has struggled to reach 13C – and it feels like 9C, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Public transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, has just been dunked, dressed as a Yarra Tram seat and complete with a bell. She says:

Em is the kindest person, anyone will ever meet, and she has a way of uniting people across all sides of the political spectrum and communities. It’s my pleasure to do anything she asks.

The group of MPs have so far raised $50,000 for Fight MND, which Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher, helped set up after his own diagnosis in 2013.

Vulin, 45, was diagnosed last year and has since been advocating for greater access to voluntary assisted dying for people with neurological conditions. You can read more about her story in a piece we published last week:

Krishani Dhanji

Marles says ‘everything on the table’ to ensure fit-for-purpose defence

Deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles has put his department on notice, promising to put “everything on the table” including “bureaucratic reform” to ensure defence can deliver major projects.

Speaking at a News Corp event in Parliament House, Marles said his department, the defence force and defence agencies needed to be “fit for purpose” amid an increasingly challenging geo-strategic environment.

Marles has said previously, that when Labor came into power, there were 28 projects running “a combined 97 years over time”.

While he put some of the blame on the former Coalition government, he said it shows that the department also needed to be ready to deliver for the future.

When we came to government, there were 28 different projects running a combined 97 years over time. Now that did represent the failure of leadership on the part of the former Coalition government, but it also says something about the challenge which is in front of us now to ensure that the defence establishment is fit for purpose to achieve this delivery outcome …

So in ensuring that it is fit for purpose, can I say today that everything is on the table, including bureaucratic reform of the Department of Defence, of the Australian Defence Force, and of defence agencies.

Josh Butler

Continued from previous post:

Wong said she expected more people to register for help in both Israel and Iran. She couldn’t say exactly what might occur in coming days, in terms of what assistance the government could offer, but noted that the Australian government had in the past helped set up charter flights, among other options.

We’re certainly looking at all of those contingencies, but we are currently in the process of planning for assisted departures in the event that it is safe to do so.

Wong urged people to listen to the advice of local authorities, and that the current advice was to shelter in place. She also said people could register for help or read further advice at the Smartraveller website.

Penny Wong signals plans to get Australians out of Iran and Israel ‘when safe to do so’

Josh Butler

Australian officials are working on plans to potentially help Australians leave Iran and Israel, as missile strikes between the two countries intensify – but foreign minister Penny Wong warned this might not come for some time, due to airspace being closed.

Wong, speaking at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon, said the federal government was working on “a range of plans, including a plan for assisted departures when the air space is open and when it is safe to do so”. She said around 350 people in Iran and 300 in Israel have already registered for assistance with departure.

I understand how concerned, how distressed many Australians are about what is occurring. I understand, particularly those who are in the Middle East, in Israel or Iran, how worrying the situation is, how frightening it is. And I also recognise for families of people who are in the region, this is a distressing time.

What I would say is, at the moment, airspace is closed. This means that governments have closed down airspace because of the risk of strikes on civilian aircraft. So obviously we have to wait until airspace is open before we can try to get people out by air.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Sydney Uni defends new restrictions on protest

The University of Sydney has defended its controversial new restrictions on protest during a state parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism.

Appearing before the committee on Monday, deputy vice-chancellor, professor Annamarie Jagose, said the university “did not get everything right” following 7 October 2023, which was why it had implemented changes to its speech and security policies.

Jagose told the committee that of around 400 complaints across the first half of 2024, when a pro-Palestine encampment was operating, about a quarter were substantiated.

Asked by Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence whether the changes via its Hodgkinson External Review and new “civility rule” impeded freedom of speech, Jagose said the balance was to “enable staff and students to experience the USYD as a safe workplace and a safe place to study, regardless of their political orientations”.

President of the university’s Students’ Representative Council, Angus Fisher, said the new policies had altered campus culture and the “ability to speak freely and openly”.

People are afraid of getting misconduct [notices]. I myself have faced potential issues and warnings, for merely speaking at an action, not even organising an action … the culture on campus has certainly decreased and become a lot more quiet.