Macquarie Fields Public School: Police launch an investigation after shot fired into school window

The parents of children left “scared” after a shot was fired into their classroom in Sydney’s southwest have called for security upgrades, with criticism directed at the level of communication from the school.

The parents of children left “scared” after a shot was fired into their classroom in Sydney’s southwest have called for security upgrades, while criticising the communications received from the school.

Police were called to Macquarie Fields Public School about 12.45pm Tuesday after receiving a report a metal projectile had broken a classroom window.

Investigations revealed the object was a small calibre bullet, which has been seized and will be forensically examined by specialist police.

Shams Rahman said his seven-year-old daughter was in the classroom when the projectile struck the classroom window.

He said the initial communication from the school had been limited, and when police were at the school he was told that “everything was under control”.

Shams Rahman said more security was needed to protect school students. Photographer: Christian Anstey

“(My daughter) was explaining there was a big noise, and she had to move to a different classroom,” he said. “I was a bit worried … I did not ask more about it because she did not understand a lot. She was scared but as kids they don’t know everything.”

Mr Rahman said he later discussed the situation with his wife and they both agreed the school needed more security, and more information should have been provided from the school.

Campbelltown police district superintendent Grant Healy described the act as “reckless”. Picture: Supplied

“For the amount of kids they have, we need more security for the kids,” he said.

The letter sent home to parents, provided to this publication, said a “small projectile that came from off school grounds broke a classroom window”.

“Although no one was hurt when this occurred, the teacher moved all students out of the classroom as a precaution,” it states. “The source of the projectile has currently not been identified.”

Macquarie Fields Public School father Mohammed Based, speaking at the school on Wednesday morning, said he was with a friend when they received a notification from the news about a small metal object, but it wasn’t until he turned on the news that he found out it was a bullet that had smashed through the classroom window.

A copy of the letter sent home to parents.

Mr Based said he wished the school had communicated better as it had been “unclear” what happened.

He said it was vital for them to have the information and for the school to be “transparent”, but he acknowledged that they could have made the decision to prevent “chaos”.

“It was nothing serious, but then it was serious in the sense that we are in Australia,” Mr Based said. “It is pretty scary, and I have had a friend who told me he may move his daughter out, but I asked, why should you? This is a one-off instance.

“A lot of the parents still don’t know because of how they did the letter.”

Mohammed Based and daughter Areena during school drop-off. Photographer: Christian Anstey

Mr Based asked his daughter Areena, a Year 2 student, if she was comfortable going to school or if she wanted to stay home with him.

Areena said she wanted to go to school and was not scared.

“A teacher came into the class … and asked if we had heard,” Areena said. “I didn’t hear a bang.”

A third parent Faroque Bhouyan said he was “frightened and scared” when he saw the letter from the school.

“I tried to find out and rang a couple of my friends, and it was not clear. Then I saw on the TV what had happened. It was a shooting,” he said. “They should have been clear to the parents. As a parent, obviously, I was very frightened and scared.”

Mr Bhouyan’s five-year-old daughter was in a nearby classroom, and he was “hesitant” to send her back to school today.

Faroque Bhouyan. Picture: Christian Anstey

Macquarie Fields resident Bob Sibley said what had happened at the school was “disgusting” and “disgraceful”.

He said that sort of incident should never happen, particularly not near a school and hoped the police do everything they could to find the culprit.

“They should throw the book at them,” he said. “I’ve lived here for about 50 years, and it is a great area … I’ve had no problems since I’ve lived here.”

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the school provided the known facts to members of the school community at the time of the incident.

“Macquarie Fields Public School communicated twice with the parent community yesterday following the incident,” she said.

“The school will continue to update the community.”

Shot fired into classroom filled with year one and two students

A teacher raised the alarm after a shot was fired into a the window of a public school classroom filled with year one and two students.

About 12.45pm on Tuesday, officers from Campbelltown City Police Area Command were called to Macquarie Fields Public School on Fields Rd after receiving a report a classroom window had been broken by a metal projectile.

Campbelltown police district superintendent Grant Healy talking to media after a shot was fired into a Macquarie Fields school window. Picture: Supplied

Superintendent Grant Healy said a teacher had alerted police after an object had smashed a glass window, stopped by a curtain.

“This was not a targeted act towards a school,” he said.

When asked how early investigations had ruled out a targeted attack, he said he would classify it as “reckless”.

“It was established the projectile may have been a bullet and early and early investigations reveal the projectile may have come from some distance away.”

There were no reports of injuries to any students or staff at the school and the school was not placed into lockdown at the time of the incident.

Investigations have revealed that the object is a small calibre bullet, which has been seized and will be forensically examined by specialist police.

Supt Healy said there were year one and two students inside the classroom where the window was smashed but a blind halted the bullets trajectory.

A classroom at Macquarie Fields Public School was hit with a bullet. Picture: Google Maps

He said at the time it hit the window it did not “have that much force behind it”.

“For the little kids at the time, they just heard a smashed window,” he said.

“It’s a totally reckless act for someone who is acting in a way with a firearm that is very dangerous to the community.

“A reckless act is when you are playing with something and you don’t think about the consequences.”

Superintendent Healy said they were waiting on ballistics to confirm what might have been used to shoot the bullet.

When asked what damage this type of bullet could do, Superintendent Healy said it was like any other.

“They are tiny little kids and that’s why we are asking anyone with information to come forward,” he said.

“It’s terrifying when people are playing with guns anywhere at anytime because the consequences can be catastrophic.”

Supt Healy said he was not willing to speculate on the type of firearm used, or any of the circumstances surrounding the incident as it was still in the early stages of the investigation.

As inquiries continue, anyone with information or dashcam around the area is urged to contact Campbelltown Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.