Carnes Hill Marketplace: shots fired in alleged armed robbery

Shots were fired at a southwest Sydney shopping centre during an alleged armed robbery in broad daylight. Patrons inside the centre described the frightening scenes as they unfolded. WATCH THE VIDEO

Shots were fired and a man has been arrested after an alleged armed robbery in broad daylight at a popular southwest Sydney shopping centre.

NSW Police state that at 4.45pm emergency services raced to a jewellery store at Carnes Hill Marketplace in response to reports of an armed robbery.

“Police have been told two males entered the store and smashed glass display cabinets, before a firearm was discharged, and the men fled the scene with jewellery,” a NSW Police statement reads.

“Upon arrival, police were directed to a motorcycle that was outside the shopping centre.

“The male pillion passenger was arrested by police, and the motorcycle fled the scene.”

Police will allege a search of the man uncovered a firearm and various jewellery items.

There have been no reports of physical injuries but an image posted to social media shows shattered glass covering the ground outside the jewellery store.

Smashed glass at the jewellery store.

“A large-scale search is now underway, with assistance from neighbouring commands and specialist police,” the NSW Police statement continued.

“A crime scene has been established by Liverpool City Police Area Command, which will be examined by specialist forensic police.”

Police advise there is no ongoing threat to public safety.

Police at the crime scene at the jewellery store.

The brother-in-law of the couple who own the shop Aram Ruman spoke to the Liverpool Leader about his disbelief that someone could pull a gun on a small business owner.

“It’s a family owned business. I mean, they’ve been here for years and years,” he said.

“But these aren’t your multimillion dollar corporations, they are mum and dad stores, you know what I mean?”

Mr Ruman said it was “shaking” to think of what could have gone wrong.

Smashed glass at the store. Picture: Facebook

The aftermath. Picture: Facebook

“As you can tell from the glass and everything, multiple shots have been shot,” Mr Ruman said.

“The saddest thing is and the reality is, my nieces and nephews could have been without their mum and dad tonight. It could have been that bad.

“Thank God, nothing happened. But that’s shaking.

“How do you come back to work? I mean, it’s already hard enough ... I don’t know what’s going on through people’s minds.”

Adam Farhan, another family member of the jewellery store shop owners, said he had been told what had happened by people around the centre and family members.

“The man had a gun. It is suspected he had a silencer on the gun and the shop occupier tried to hide behind the partition to stop the guy from harming him,” Mr Farhan said.

Aram Ruman's sister-in-law owns the jewellery store that was the scene of an alleged armed robbery and shooting at Carnes Hill Shopping Centre. Picture: Paul Brescia

“He [the shooter] had a balaclava on and apparently a few shots were fired, and the shop owner kept on hiding behind the partition.

“Then the man got very upset. People started filming, and the shop owner started screaming. So the next door neighbour from [a nearby shop owner] came in to see what’s going on and apparently the man put a gun on his head and threatened him.”

Mr Farhan said he was also told that the man realised people were filming so broke the glass to take what he could before leaving.

“The police were incredible. They were here very quickly, apparently, and they caught him because I think people filmed the car,” Mr Farhan added.

“And they gave that information to the police and someone said there was a helicopter in the sky from the police looking for him.”

Police remain at the scene.

Patrons had earlier described seeing shoppers fleeing with full shopping baskets from the suburban mall.

Trina Devienne and her friend Sonia Gulinon told the Liverpool Leader they were shopping in Woolworths when all of a sudden they started to hear screaming, as well as banging and smashing noises.

“Everyone started saying ‘get into the back, get into the back, everyone in the back’ and they closed Woolworths down,” she said.

“One of the really quick thinking employees, she started to see what was happening, and she closed the doors straightaway and locked us all in so then we stayed in lockdown for about half an hour.

“There was a few kids crying because they didn’t know where their mum was, so a few had been separated from their parents.

“So we were trying to console the kids in the back until they found their mums. Some people were pretty shaken up around the back.”

Ms Devienne said she was pretty shaken up after the reality of what had happened sunk in

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said they were called to the shopping centre at the Cowpasture Rd entrance about 5.15pm.

The spokeswoman said paramedics are treating one young person for shock.

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