Kids escape injury after Croydon Park home targeted in shooting

A 44-year-old man, three women and two children were inside a house in Sydney’s inner west which was shot at last night.

The Croydon Park house which was shot at on Saturday night. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

Two young children escaped injury when shots were fired into a home in Croydon Park on Friday night, just 700m from where a gruesome murder took place weeks ago.

It is not believed the two crimes are linked.

Emergency services rushed to Queen St, Croydon Park around 8pm on Friday after reports of gun shots being fired into the front of a home,

A 44-year-old man, three women – aged 40, 51 and 71 – and two children – a 6-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy – were inside the premises and escaped injury.

Witnesses told police a person was seen standing out the front of the location before firing two shots from a pistol into the home.

They then jumped in the driver’s seat of a white hatchback that was last seen travelling north along Tavistock St.

The incident is believed to be targeted.

The house at Queen St, Croydon Park which was shot at while occupants were inside. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

Queen St residents said police had visited the home on a number of occasions.

One neighbour described recent damage to the home’s garage door where it appeared to have been bent up.

Another neighbour said they were considering leaving the area after the spate of recent crimes in the usually peaceful inner-west suburb.

The four-bedroom red brick home is unremarkable amid other houses in the street, only standing out due to the unusually high level of security around the building.

Four CCTV cameras cover every inch of the front yard and sound an alarm when motion sensors are activated.

At the front door a small pair of blue thongs sit alongside a pair of grubby work boots.

A Vietnamese sign for peace and good fortune hangs on the door.

In the driveway, next to stacks of wall tiles, a white Toyota Camry is parked with a faded “baby on board” sign on the back.

What appears to be a bullet hole in the window of a house at Queen St, Croydon Park. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

On Saturday afternoon, police addressed the media outside Burwood Police Station, saying that no one was reportedly injured from the shooting but police were concerned that there were children present.

“I’m absolutely concerned that anybody is shooting at a residence, not knowing who was inside that residence,” Detective Acting Superintendent Luke Scott said.

“This is an example of where young people are being put at risk based on the things that their families or their associates are involved in.

“Anyone willing to put another’s family at risk like that, we need to make sure that they are not in our community and they could very well put your family at risk as well if you’re associating with them.”

Det Superintendent Scott told the media that police looking for information on a vehicle seen at the time of the shooting.

“We’re now calling for public assistance to help us identify a white Toyota Corolla that was last seen travelling on Tavistock St in Corydon Park shortly after that shooting at 8.05pm,” he said.

“Anyone with any information as to the occupants of that vehicle or the owner of that vehicle are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers.”

Mr Scott said they were also looking for information on anyone seen “sneaking around in the darkness at night time and hiding behind a gun to sort out their conflicts”.

“Because not only is your loyalty to those people compromising our community’s safety, but you could be compromising the safety of your family as well,” he warned.

On Saturday night, three hours after the Croydon shooting, another home was shot at in Calabria Lane, Prairiewood, however the incidents was not believed to be linked.

At the time of the shooting there was an 80-year-old woman inside the unit but she escaped injury and police believe the incident was a case of mistaken identity.

Police have been informed that a white Ford Ranger was seen in the vicinity at the time.