Only 24 hours after Cricket Australia scrapped their scheduled Bangladesh tour for security concerns, a possible terror-related gun shooting took place outside the New South Wales state Police Headquarters in Sydney yesterday that left a police officer dead on the spot, several news agencies said quoting Australian authorities.
The shooter was also killed when the police fired back at him, British newspaper The Guardian reported.
Details of the incidents were a bit sketchy when the report was filed last night.
“A number of shots” were fired on Charles Street, Parramatta in western Sydney outside the NSW Police Headquarters around 4:30pm, news agency AFP reported quoting a police statement.
“It appears an officer has discharged his weapon, responding to a report that a person had been shot,” the statement said.
“Two people have died at the scene. A crime scene has been established.
“A critical incident team will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident.”
According to The Guardian, the shooter, dressed in dark clothes, allegedly shot the police officer at close range while that officer was leaving work. After killing the officer, the shooter remained outside the police complex and apparently fired a few more rounds at another police special constable before a number of other policemen rushed outside the station and started shooting back at the gunman.
Police sources confirmed to The Guardian that there is nothing at this stage to suggest any links to terrorism – the gunman appeared to have been acting alone and deliberately targeted the officer, although police are not yet sure why. However, counter-terrorism officials will assist the homicide squad to investigate the incident since the law enforcement agency is “keeping an open mind.”
A police spokesman earlier told the AFP news agency that it was too soon to determine if the incident was terrorism-related. The Australian Broadcasting Corp said Friday’s shooting was not thought to be terror related.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the police sealed off the streets and warned the public to keep away from the Police Headquarters.
Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown Islamist radicals since last year. In December, two hostages were killed when police stormed a central Sydney cafe to end a 17-hour siege.
