'We won't accept this' - Police fuming after brazen daylight shooting in Sydney's south-west
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Okay, let's get the latest on this unfolding situation at Auburn where three people, two men and a woman have been shot. The Acting Commissioner Peter Thurtell joins us. Thank you for your time, Acting Commissioner. Good afternoon, Clinton. This is obviously so disturbing because it has occurred in daylight, South Parade, Auburn. Just firstly, the three victims, what's their condition at the moment?

We do know that a 26-year-old male has been shot in the arm and shoulder. Another unidentified male has been shot in the face and a 50-year-old female employee of the shop in which the shootings occurred was shot twice in the torso. All three are in hospital. I do know that the police have spoken to the female but at this stage unaware if they've spoken to the two men.

The police talking to her is hopefully a positive sign, Peter. Just explain to me what happened once your officers got the call. So about 1.10pm this afternoon, two masked gunmen walked into a kebab shop in Auburn and moved to the back of the shop. What I'm told is that eight shots were fired in the rear of the shop, hitting the three victims.

Following the shootings, they did try and get into an office in the shop as well, unsuccessfully, and then left in a black Audi vehicle that was bearing clone plates. Obviously, police deployed straight away, including investigators from Task Force Falcon. We've got lots of police on the ground there, including our forensic police and our investigators.

As you started off by saying, this is a shocking broad daylight attack and it's unacceptable. In a city like Sydney, we won't accept this. There were innocent people in and around the facility while people are brandishing firearms and these gang-related shootings have got to stop and we're doing everything we can to make sure that happens. And what's most unacceptable, I think you'd agree, is the fact that it's now been identified by yourself and the police minister that the 50-year-old woman

is not believed to be a target of this. She is believed to be an innocent person. My information is that she's an employee in the shop. So, yes, you're right. We don't believe that she was an intended target. But as I started off many of the other interviews I've done today by saying this is early days of what will end up being a major criminal investigation. The 26-year-old man who...

you mentioned in your press conference, had reported to bail today. What can you tell us about him? So that 26-year-old male is obviously clearly known to police. He did report to bail about an hour beforehand at Auburn Police Station. He's had two previous attempts on his life and we spoke to him as recently as Friday. So the fact that he was out and about is disturbing in itself, but obviously people know where he is.

And they've found him on two previous occasions. And on this occasion, they've managed to shoot him twice. And as I said, he's now in hospital. As has been reported in The Telegraph this afternoon, when he appeared in court after the shooting in May, the prosecutors, they argued against bail because, to quote them, he was at the epicentre of gangland tensions in Sydney. How can we allow somebody like that to be out?

Well, we deal with them when they are out. And obviously now this is a matter for us to investigate the actual shooting and try and apprehend those responsible. You must be tearing your hair out, though. Which we spend way beyond the two shooters. Obviously the tentacles go right into organised crime. But you must be tearing your hair out that you identify who is at the centre of this gangland war. They appear before the courts, you charge them, and then they get let out.

Yeah, well, all I can say is it's our job to enforce the law and that's a matter for the bail, is a matter for the court. As you said, we argued strongly that bail wasn't appropriate, but the courts granted bail on this occasion. There are some reports in one of the papers there is a fourth person who's been taken to hospital in a stable condition. Are you able to confirm that?

What I can say is that I'm told several doors up a lady, a pregnant lady went into labour. As far as I'm aware, there's no connection between the shooting and the lady going into labour, unless the shock of the whole incident played some role, but I don't know that that's a fact at all. But you know what, this does demonstrate that you've got Ashfield, it's such a busy area.

It's – in a place like this, you've got so many people who are in the streets and you've had an innocent person who's been shot inside the kebab shop. This just demonstrates the danger of this gang war being played out in broad daylight.

That's exactly right. And these offenders, these organised crime networks, whilst they target themselves and they'll target rivals, they don't really care that other people are in fear when they brandish firearms in the area or in the public places.

They don't really care about the law and it's our job to make sure that we lock them up. Okay, now you've got officers on the ground now looking for these offenders and that Audi that they escaped in. Thank you for your time, Acting Commissioner. Thanks, Clinton. Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell. Now, you understand he is limited in what he can say legally about the issues before the court. But one of the people who has been shot here, and this has now been confirmed by the police, was before court in May.

Because he was shot at on the 25th of May and police opposed bail because he was then charged with having a firearm. Police opposed bail because they said he was the epicentre of this whole gangland war. And the courts let him out. And now you see what happens. One of the gangs who's after him goes after him in the middle of Auburn, South Parade, middle of the day, in the kebab shop. And you've got somebody working behind the counter there, this 50-year-old lady who's shot in the stomach as a result.

That's why the magistrates and the judges and Chris Minns needs to do something about the way they enforce these laws. People like that should not be given bail.