Australia shooting: siege ends with two dead, including gunman

A workplace standoff in which an armed man shot three people, killing one, has ended after the gunman died of a "self-inflicted" wound, police have said.

On Monday morning, police were called to Ingleburn, a Sydney suburb 25 miles south of the city centre, after reports of gunfire on an industrial estate.

Arriving at a sign-making business on the estate, officers found the body of a 43-year-old man, later identified as businessman Michael Bassal, as well as two men with gunshot wounds who are now being treated in hospital.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The gunman, identified by the Sydney Morning Herald as Wayne Williams, who was allegedly a member of the outlawed motorbike gang Finks, had holed up inside, sparking a tense seven-hour standoff with police.

Other businesses on the estate were placed on lockdown and police sealed off the area. One man was reportedly arrested for "hindering" the operation.

"We heard five shots. There have been plenty of police and ambulances," an employee of a nearby business told the Herald during the siege. "We have been told to stay indoors and away from the windows."

It is believed Williams turned the gun on himself at around 5pm local time (6am GMT), despite negotiation efforts that Detective Inspector Mark Brett described as "delicate".

Tactical police then swarmed the building, where they discovered three people believed to have been held hostage, as well as the body of a man thought to be Williams.

"The matter has been resolved," Det Insp Brett said in a press conference. "Shortly after 5pm today, specialist police entered the unit where they located three persons hiding in that unit."

Det Insp Brett confirmed it was believed Williams had died of a "self-inflicted gunshot wound". He gave no information regarding a motive for the shootings.