Everything we know about the Wayville underground carpark shooting
Terror engulfed the city’s inner south after shots echoed through an underground carpark on Monday morning, prompting a manhunt. Here’s everything we know about the incident.
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A regular Monday morning descended into terror in Adelaide’s inner-south after the sound of gunshots tore through school drop-off and locals’ city commute.
Prompting a citywide manhunt, at least two shots were fired in an underground carpark at about 8am as peak hour traffic whizzed by the Greenhill Rd building – which sits within metres of neighbouring Annesley Junior School on the outskirts of the CBD.
While no one was injured, the woman shot at — a disability care worker — reportedly stumbled into traffic in distress, and was assisted by a good Samaritan.
A car fire in the city’s west was later linked to the incident, with a man in his 50s arrested on Tuesday.
Here’s everything we know:
What happened on Greenhill Rd?
Officers were called to an underground carpark of a building which houses charities and Scouts SA following reports of a person in a dark coloured sedan firing at two people.
A woman reportedly stumbled into traffic screaming in the aftermath, with a witness stopping cars to assist.
“I heard a couple of shots coming from Greenhill Rd … then a woman was screaming and running across the road,” one man told 7 NEWS.
“And then a man attended to her on the road, stopping the traffic and she walked across to the tenancies on the other side of the road.”
A luxury Mercedes belonging to the victims was also struck by gunfire and towed for forensic examination.
A heavy police presence remained at the Greenhill Rd location into the day as officers searched the parking lot, as well as the tennis court and the parklands across the road.
The SES were also called in to help comb the scene.
How was the car fire connected?
The getaway car – a purple Honda sedan – was set on fire in Selby St, Kurralta Park about two hours later, with a man captured on CCTV appearing to ignite the blaze with a jerry can.
The man, wearing a red puffer jacket and blue gloves, was seen parking a purple Honda Civic outside a home on the street just before 8:30am on Monday before pouring something over the car. It then burst into flames.
SA Police Detective Chief Inspector Peter Duance with the latest on a shooting in the carpark of a Greenhill Road business at Wayville. #7NEWShttps://t.co/ArdLgylsp1
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) February 26, 2024
Who are police searching for?
On Tuesday morning, police would not rule out the man in the CCTV footage as a suspect.
After an investigation, police went to a Kurralta Park address where they arrested a 51-year-old Fulham Gardens man.
Police said the man had been charged with arson of the motor vehicle.
It came after Detective Chief Inspector Peter Duance said the shooting was “not a random attack”.
“We’re following a line of inquiry at present and that’s what’s brought us to that conclusion,” he said on Monday.
Police also linked the shooting to the car fire in Selby St.
“It’s since been confirmed that the car fire is in fact linked to the shot-firing incident at Wayville,” Inspector Duance said.
“A purple-coloured Honda Civic sedan was engulfed with flames when crews arrived and was completely destroyed in the blaze.
“That was the vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting.
“We’re aware of one (suspect) at this time.”
Police are yet to recover the firearm but said there was no danger to the wider community.
“I want to assure the public that there’s no community safety issues … it was clearly targeted,” Inspector Duance said.
Who are the victims?
One of the victims works for NDIS provider Better Care Australia, which is among a range of organisations in the Motor Trade Association SA office building – including rehabilitation for veterans service Helping Heroes and another NDIS provider Community Assist.
The two victims, who are not accused of any wrongdoing, were later seen co-operating with the investigation.
7 NEWS has reported the victims have told police they did not know the shooter.
Locals react to terrifying incident
Annesley contacted parents advising no one from the school was hurt or targeted.
Sara Kruse, 39, had dropped off her six-year-old daughter when she heard about the incident.
“Obviously, it’s quite worrying that it happened so close to the school,” Ms Kruse said.
“It’s really upsetting whenever something like this happens in the local community, especially when it’s close by.”
A 64-year-old resident on Clark St, who lives less than 100m from the building, said she heard “two loud bangs”.
“I just thought maybe someone just hit my fence in the laneway, because that happens all the time,” the woman said.
She said she complained to police previously about cars entering and exiting the laneway late at night.
“It’s a bit sinister because they come at all hours of the night,” she said.
“I’ve told the police but there’s not much they can really do.”
MTA SA chief executive officer Darrell Jacobs said all staff and tenants were safe, and police were keeping the MTA informed.
Police are appealing for information and encourage anyone with details to contact Crime Stoppers online at crimestopperssa.com.au or to call 1800 333 000.
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