By Jessica McSweeney and Amber Schultz
A man allegedly “enraged” by his wife’s attempts to leave him has attacked his family and embarked on a shooting spree, ending in the discovery of his body in a creek.
The string of gun attacks began shortly before 10pm on Tuesday when the man allegedly shot into a home on Antwerp Street, Auburn, where his wife and two children were staying.
Police say the wife, 50, and her two children, 15 and 20, had fled their home in Victoria after the woman separated from her husband of 23 years, also aged 50. They were staying with the woman’s parents, aged in their 70s, at the Auburn home.
The man followed his family and attempted to break into the home, smashing a window and forcing open the front door, police allege.
While he didn’t enter the home, police allege he pulled out a handgun and attempted to shoot his wife’s father. When the gun failed to discharge, he turned it on his wife’s mother. The gun fired a shot, but missed the occupants of the home.
Neighbour Shehi Sroha was sitting inside with his children when he heard screaming.
The home in Auburn targeted by a man in a domestic violence shooting incident.Credit: Rhett Wyman
“We came outside and we heard the gunshot. My kids were here, and I told them to go inside,” he said, adding police arrived quickly.
“The situation was really tense when I heard the gunshot. I was very scared.”
The man fled the Antwerp Street home and tried to carjack a vehicle driven by a woman in her 50s. She was able to avoid him and call for help.
He then attempted to carjack another vehicle, this time driven by a man in his 50s with a 15-year-old girl in the passenger seat. The man shot the driver through the window, hitting him in the shoulder.
The girl called for help, and the victim was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Police established a second crime scene on Mona Street.
A search of the Auburn area was launched and at 2.15am on Wednesday officers found the body of the man in Duck Creek – a narrow waterway about a 10-minute drive from both crime scenes.
A firearm was also found.
The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and there is no ongoing risk to the public, police said.
“We are very thankful at this stage that we don’t have another DV related homicide on our hands,” Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said.
“The history and background of this family, albeit from interstate, would not have been on our radar.
“This is the real challenge for domestic violence in NSW – to try and ensure we are doing everything humanly possible with the information that is available to us to keep our victims and communities safe.”
NSW Police are working with their counterparts in Victoria on the investigation. The man has had no interactions with police in the past decade.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. The men’s referral service is on 1300 766 491.
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