Source : the age
A Newcastle teen was meeting up with members of a car enthusiast group at a popular beach spot when an unknown gunman opened fire and killed him moments after his club brawled with another group.
Ekam Sahni and other members of the “WE2H8TED” car group were fighting with others in the car park of Bar Beach on Wednesday night moments before he was gunned down in a “senseless” shooting which caused a witness to run for his life.
Police say about 11.40pm, a white SUV pulled up and a man, who is now on the run, stepped out and shot Sahni. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated Sahni, but he died at the scene.
Witness Nick Brown said he and his friends had an altercation with Sahni in the car park where punches were thrown, but the group had “cuddled” and shaken hands after the fight.
Brown said a man who had been watching from the white car then approached the group in his vehicle. After a verbal altercation he got out and started shooting with a large rifle-style gun.
Ekam Sahni was killed in a shooting in Newcastle.Credit: Facebook
“I didn’t know they were just going to jump out with big weapons like that and shoot the poor guy,” the Newcastle local told Nine News.
After shooting the 18-year-old, the gunman allegedly told another man with him to “kill these dogs”. A third man remained in the car, he said.
“I just ran for my life,” Brown said.
Witness Nick Brown.Credit: Nine
“I ran really fast, and I jumped on the grass, and I was rolling down.
“I’ve never run that fast … I just kept running. I was going to get shot as well.”
About 20 minutes after the shooting, emergency services found the SUV that was allegedly involved in the shooting, believed to be stolen, on fire on Croudace Road, Tingira Heights, about 13 kilometres south of the car park.
A crime scene has been established in the car park and on the road where the burnt-out SUV was found. Police and homicide squad detectives are investigating the shooting.
NSW Police acting Superintendent Steve Benson said the shooting was not believed to be linked to the earlier altercation, which he said involved several people from two groups, but it was not clear if the shooting was targeted or a random attack. The fight was not believed to have been organised, he said.
“It’s a senseless incident,” he said on Thursday.
“This is an incident that the community won’t stand for and I can assure the community of Newcastle that there are a large number of resources allocated to this investigation to both identify and bring the offenders to justice.”
Brown said the gunshot he heard was loud enough to be heard “from miles away” and that the shooter and Sahni did not appear to know each other. The calibre of the weapon used in the shooting is not clear.
He said he tried to render first aid, but the 18-year-old was already dead.
“I just came back to just see if I could do anything,” he said.
The scene at Bar Beach carpark on Thursday morning.Credit: Nine via WIN
“It’s just that we talked to the guy, and after that, seeing him dead on the floor for ages is just really sad.”
Brown, who said he hadn’t slept since last night, described the incident as “horrific to watch”.
Locals passing the crime scene on Thursday morning said they were “shocked” at the shooting.
“Never seen anything like this before,” one woman told Today. “It’s crazy.”
“I’m just absolutely amazed that this thing could happen in Newcastle,” another woman said. “It’s just unbelievable.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said her thoughts were with Sahni’s family and friends, and the broader Newcastle community.
“This sort of death of a young person is something that we don’t want to see on our streets,” she said.
A Facebook group with more than 1000 members described the “WE2H8TED” club as a “car group for the hated family friendly”.
Police are urging anyone with information, or CCTV or dashcam footage, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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