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Violence

Opinion

Sydney’s gun crime shock: we have fewer shootings but they’re more brazen

Within 72 hours this week, Sydney witnessed three separate gun crimes that left communities shaken. On Sunday, a man allegedly fired up to 50 rounds randomly from his Croydon Park apartment, injuring 16 people. On Tuesday, police intercepted a “kill team” allegedly planning to murder someone at a daycare pick-up. On Wednesday, former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian was shot and murdered while walking in Riverstone.

Three shootings. Three very different stories. Yet they’ve collectively fuelled a perception that Australia is experiencing an explosion of gun violence. Is gun crime surging or are we witnessing something more specific?

The statistics tell a surprising story, and underst

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