Gunfire reported in Dulwich Hill as police hunt for armed man

Police have locked down part of Dulwich Hill in Sydney’s inner west following reports a man armed with a shotgun is in the area, after allegedly setting alight a stolen car and fleeing on foot.

Heavily armed tactical police, along with a police helicopter and general duties officers, rushed to the area near Williams Parade and Constitution Road about 10.20am on Friday, after gunshots were reported to emergency services.

Witnesses said the alleged gunman, who is of Caucasian appearance and aged in his 20s, set fire to a stolen vehicle in a carpark near an apartment complex on Williams Parade, before fleeing the scene with a sawn-off shotgun. He evaded authorities via Union Street, his last known location, and remains at-large on Friday afternoon.

Nearby businesses and cafés have been put into lockdown, along with Dulwich Hill Public School, as officers hunt the allegedly armed man.

Witnesses on the ground told Nine News there had been an altercation between the man and another group of people, which ended in a car being set alight by the apartment complex. Firefighters extinguished the car blaze, while police established a crime scene.

Police believe the man is wearing a blue T-shirt and long black pants, stands about 160 centimetres, and has a thin build and shaggy hair.

A large exclusion area has been established, as police search for the gunman. Locals have been urged to remain inside, while those travelling through Dulwich Hill have been redirected from the area.

No injuries have been reported, nor have any arrests been made. Light rail services between Dulwich Hill and Lilyfield have been stopped amid the ongoing operation.

The operation comes after bullets were sprayed at a house in Sydney’s south-west at 12.35am on Friday, occupied by two men, 21 and 23, and a 59-year-old woman.

Police responded to the house in Willis Street, Lansvale, before stopping a grey sedan at nearby Hollywood Drive. Officers allegedly found a balaclava and firearm in the car shortly after the drive-by shooting, before arresting its occupants – two males, 17 and 18, and a 17-year-old girl.

The trio were arrested and taken to Cabramatta Police Station, where they faced police questioning. No charges have been laid. The occupants of the targeted house were uninjured.

More to come