Hunt continues for man with shotgun who sparked lockdown in Sydney's inner west
Residents say they saw a man in a van, which had been stolen from the nearby area a couple of days earlier, who threatened them with a shotgun and set the vehicle alight before fleeing on foot.
A man who threatened residents with a shotgun in Sydney's inner west has remained at large, prompting a massive police operation. The armed individual, described as a 20-year-old Caucasian male with brown shaggy hair, has not been identified. Police launched the search on Friday morning following a man setting fire to a stolen van at a Dulwich Hill apartment block.
Local primary schools were placed in a lockdown as part of the response, which also saw a three-hour exclusion zone implemented for several streets surrounding Williams Parade. Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald stated that the operation commenced around 10:20am after emergency services were called to the burning van. Witnesses informed the officers of the armed man in the van, who had stolen it from the vicinity a few days prior.
He had allegedly threatened the officers with a shotgun before fleeing the scene and setting the vehicle ablaze. Police have released an image of the suspect wearing a blue T-shirt, long black pants, and dark jumper, alongside white shoes, and urged anyone with dash-cam, CCTV, or mobile phone footage to assist in the search. The man's identity has yet to be confirmed.
Police have deployed riot squad officers, personnel in bulletproof vests, police dogs, and the PolAir helicopter to aid in the manhunt.
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