Newcastle beach murder victim identified as hunt for gunman intensifies

The teenager killed in a drive-by shooting near a popular Newcastle beach has been identified, with his killer still on the loose.

A man reportedly fired a rifle at a group fighting in the car park before re-entering his car and speeding away. Picture: John Appleyard/NewsWire

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The Newcastle teen killed in a NSW beachfront drive-by shooting has been identified as Ekampreet Sahni.

Police say the 18-year-old was part of a group of people fighting in the car park of the popular Bar Beach at about 11.40pm on Wednesday when a white Volvo SUV arrived.

A man got out of the car and reportedly fired a rifle at the group before re-entering and speeding away.

The victim of the shooting was 18 years old. Picture: John Appleyard/NewsWire

Sahni was shot in the back while the group fled. He received care from paramedics but died at the scene.

The burnt-out car used in the shooting was later found 14km away in Tingira Heights, Lake Macquarie. The car is believed to be stolen and to have had ­multiple passengers at the time of the shooting.

Newcastle City Police District Commander, Acting Superintendent Steve Benson said it was likely that the fight and subsequent shooting were not linked.

“We don’t believe the fight was organised and we don’t believe that this incident (the shooting) is related to the fight in the carpark,” he said.

Crime scenes have been established at Bar Beach and Tingira Heights with forensic investigations under way. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the crime was a “shock to the community”.

“This is a community that is a safe community. This is random,” she said. “This sort of death of a young person is not what we want to see on our streets.

Police comb the crime scene in Bar Beach car park. Picture: John Appleyard/NewsWire

“The police will do everything they can to ensure that they find out who has done this and put them before a court of law.”

Police have established a strike force to investigate the matter, with local detectives working alongside the state homicide squad.

The fight occurred between two groups and is believed to be the result of a disagreement rather than an organised brawl.

Newcastle police Acting Superintendent Steve Benson said the community wouldn’t stand for the “senseless” crime.

“I can assure the community there are a large number of resources allocated to this investigation to identify and bring the offenders to justice,” he said.