Boy shot in face in Norwest

An 11-year-old boy was shot in the face and neck at a unit in Norwest, Sydney on Monday evening. He was taken to Westmead Children's hospital in critical condition.

Five others home during shooting

Five other people were home at the unit when the shot was fired: four 18-year-old men and a 44-year-old woman. None of them were injured in the incident.

Man charged, others released

Isaac Bechara, one of the men present, was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence. He appeared at Blacktown local court on Tuesday morning and bail was refused. Two other men were arrested and released pending further inquiries.

Police probe organised crime links

Superintendent Naomi Moore said police were aware of the unit and had engaged with occupants previously. A number of individuals inside are well known to NSW police, and their association with organised crime is being considered by investigators.

“Their association with organised crime is being considered by investigators.”

Some witnesses not cooperating

Police have spoken to some people who were in the unit but are still attempting to find others. Some of those present are not currently cooperating with investigators, and police are not ruling out laying future charges against the men who were released.

Weapon still missing

The weapon from which one shot was fired has not yet been found. Police are also investigating how the gun came to be in the house, as there were no firearms registered to the property and none of the individuals had gun licences.

Premier calls for fewer guns

NSW Premier Chris Minns called the shooting an incredibly distressing situation and a tragic reminder of how dangerous guns were. He said innocent people, many times children, are victims of guns and the community needs fewer of them.

“Often the people who are the victims of guns are innocent people, many times they are children.”

Opposition pledges to scrap buyback

The NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane pledged on Saturday to scrap Labor's firearm ownership caps for primary producers if elected. She proposed a commission of inquiry into gun laws and a freeze of any buyback, arguing resources should be spent on red-flagging terrorists and additional policing instead.

“We just think this is a government that is trying to say that they've made our streets safer, when this is really a very blunt instrument that's targeting the wrong people.”