Lake Macquarie police say a man who appears on CCTV footage walking along Flame Street at Gateshead may be able to help their inquiries into a violent shooting there in May that left a resident with a wounded leg.
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Police said in a statement at the weekend that the caucasian man, about 175 centimetres tall with a slim build wearing a dark hooded jumper, light pants and dark shoes, was captured on camera in the area shortly before shots were fired through the front window of a family home on Flame Street in the early hours of May 18, hitting a 41-year-old man inside.
The man's injuries were not life-threatening. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital.
Residents have since been living in fear as the shooter evaded capture for weeks as the police investigation continued.
The son of an elderly neighbour, Darren Minns, said the day of the shooting that he and his family had "had enough".
"I've had enough, my family have had enough, I put this fence around the front of mum's house 12 months ago because it's getting that bad," he said.
"It's not good, there's kids in this street and there's people walking down off their faces yelling at each other and talking to themselves.
"I'd like to move her [his mother] back home to Belmont where I live, but the thing is that this is her home, she loves this place and I was brought up here as well."
Mr Minns said his mother heard a gunshot about 5am and had been disturbed by the unfolding drama.
"We have to do something about it," he said. "These are the issues we shouldn't have to put up with."
As the investigation stretches into its third week, police have appealed again for anyone in the community with information about the incident to come forward, and in particular are keen to identify the man captured on CCTV and four others seen walking along Flame Street moments before the shooting.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area between 3.30am and 4.30am on Thursday, May 18, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
