Sydney solicitor shot amid citizens arrest in Sydney CBD

A man, 79, has been charged after the 77-year-old was shot, with police praising the bravery of bystanders who held the alleged offender down.

A male victim is loaded into an ambulance as officers attended and found a man believed to be suffering a gunshot wound in Sydney's CBD. A man has been arrested and there is no further ongoing threat to the community. Picture: The Australian

A Sydney CBD law firm was the scene of drama on Wednesday when a 79-year-old man allegedly calmly entered its ninth floor office and shot a solicitor in what police believe was a personal dispute.

Solicitor Van Cooney was shot in the groin in his Sydney offices before the alleged culprit was disarmed and held down by five staff until police arrived and arrested him.

He was charged overnight with shoot at with intent to murder; two counts of acquire pistol-subject to firearms prohibition order; two counts of possess loaded firearm endanger life non-public place; and two counts of possess unauthorised prohibited firearm. He will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.

Emergency services raced to the 219 Castlereagh St at 12.50pm following reports of shooting and found the 77-year-old man suffering an apparent gunshot wound.

The alleged shooter held a small calibre semi-automatic pistol, which he is believed to have used in the shooting. He also was reportedly carrying a semi-automatic rifle in a bag when he took the elevator up to the Van Cooney Lawyers offices on level 9.

It is believed the alleged incident may have been over a property dispute.

Detective Inspector David El-Badawi said at the scene the offender was held by about five staff until police arrived, lauding the “bravery” of the building’s workers.

Up to 40 police - including 10 police cars and five ambulances - attended the scene within three minutes. The firearms were secured and the alleged offender was taken to Day St police station. No charges had been laid on Wednesday evening.

The scene of the shooting in Sydney's CBD. Picture: The Australian

“The city is safe, there is no danger to the public,” Det-Inspector El-Badawi said.

“This is an isolated shooting and not connected to OMCGs or gang war fare. I can rule that out.”

NSW Ambulance paramedic Dominic Wong said the victim sustained one gunshot to the groin and was taken to St Vincent’s in a stable condition.

“I do believe the projectile entered his body,” he said.

Police established a crime scene at level 9, 219-223 Castlereigh St, Sydney CBD soon after the 12.50pm shooting.

The building, a stone’s thrown from the Downing Centre court complex, houses O’Brien Criminal Solicitors and the Greek Consulate, among other smaller offices — although it is understood the man shot is from neither the consulate or O’Brien’s.

Witnesses inside the building said they were unaware of what happened, although had been told by police that the building was being treated as a crime scene.