An 11-year-old child was admitted to hospital in critical condition on Monday evening after being shot in the face and neck inside a residential unit in Norwest, in Sydney's north-west, prompting renewed political debate over firearm regulation in New South Wales. Police have not yet determined whether the shooting was accidental, and five other people were present in the apartment at the time, including four 18-year-old men and a 44-year-old woman, none of whom sustained injuries.
The incident has reignited a fierce political dispute between the state government and the opposition over a major gun buyback scheme announced following the Bondi Beach massacre. Premier Chris Minns described the shooting as a "tragic reminder" of the dangers posed by firearms in the community, while the Liberal opposition has doubled down on its plan to scrap the buyback and instead commission an inquiry into gun laws.
What happened at the Norwest apartment?
The child suffered gunshot wounds to the face and neck at a unit in Norwest on Monday evening, NSW police said. Five other occupants were home at the time: four 18-year-old men and a 44-year-old woman. None of the adults were injured in the incident.
One of the men was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence and appeared at Blacktown local court on Tuesday morning via audio visual link, where he made no application for bail. Two other men were arrested and released pending further inquiries.
Superintendent Naomi Moore told reporters on Monday night that police had no information suggesting the shooting was connected to organised crime.
"It is an absolutely tragic situation, and we've seen tragedy across Sydney in the last couple of days; this is not far from the worst that I've seen,"she said.
Police are investigating how the firearm came to be inside the property, as there were no firearms registered to the address and none of the individuals held gun licenses. Minns said adults in the house were not cooperating with police and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Why is this incident fuelling a political row?
The shooting has become a focal point in a broader debate over gun control in NSW, with the government and opposition taking sharply opposing positions on how to reduce firearm-related harm. Minns used the incident to reinforce the government's case for its planned buyback scheme, saying that innocent people, often children, become victims of gun violence.
"Often the people who are the victims of guns, are innocent people, many times they are children. They're very dangerous and we need less of them in our community,"the premier told ABC TV on Tuesday.
The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, rejected this framing and instead proposed a commission of inquiry into gun laws and a freeze on any buyback. She argued that resources should be directed toward
"red-flagging terrorists" and "additional policing"rather than a broad buyback scheme.
"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,"Sloane told ABC radio on Tuesday.
What is the government's gun buyback plan?
Following the Bondi Beach massacre earlier this year, the NSW government introduced legislation to undertake Australia's largest gun buyback in 30 years. The scheme is set to begin on 2 November 2026, with eligible owners offered up to A$1,000 for some firearms and up to A$10,000 for higher-value guns in a later phase.
Under the first phase, compensation starts at A$450 for air rifles and A$850 for double-barrel shotguns, according to the NSW government. The buyback is intended to take about 274,000 firearms out of circulation across NSW.
The government's gun-law changes are part of a broader post-Bondi Beach attack package that also included new licensing restrictions and caps on firearm ownership. Notably, the scheme will apply not only to voluntary sellers but also to people whose licenses no longer permit them to hold certain firearms under the tightened rules.
Police have said the buyback will be split into two phases, with a second phase for higher-value firearms scheduled to begin in early 2027.
What is the opposition's alternative?
The Liberal opposition has abandoned its previous support for the buyback. Last year, the Coalition voted with Labor in favour of a gun buyback scheme, but on Saturday the opposition announced it would scrap the plan if elected to government.
Instead, Sloane proposed a commission of inquiry into gun laws and a freeze on any buyback, while also scrapping caps on firearm ownership for farmers and professional shooters. Police Minister Yasmin Catley called the Coalition's reversal a
"stunning backflip"and said it would leave more guns in circulation.
"Our position is simple and it has not and will not change: fewer dangerous guns in circulation means a safer NSW,"Catley said.
What is the broader context of gun violence in Sydney?
The Norwest shooting is the latest in a series of firearm incidents that have prompted urgent action on gun control in NSW. Last week, two teenage boys were charged with murder following the shooting death of a university student in Sydney, which police described as a case of mistaken identity.
Earlier this month, the state's police minister announced the government's response to the Bondi Beach massacre, which had sparked national calls for tighter firearm regulation. The buyback scheme was framed by state and federal leaders as the largest gun buyback since the 1996 Port Arthur scheme, which followed a mass shooting in Tasmania.
When will the buyback begin?
The first compensation payments under the buyback scheme are scheduled to start on 2 November 2026. The second phase, focusing on higher-value firearms, is scheduled to begin in early 2027.
Key Facts
- An 11-year-old was shot in the face and neck at a Norwest apartment on Monday evening and admitted to hospital in critical condition.
- NSW's gun buyback scheme, set to begin on 2 November 2026, aims to remove approximately 274,000 firearms from circulation.
- The Liberal opposition has reversed its previous support for the buyback and now proposes a commission of inquiry and a freeze on the scheme instead.
- The buyback is part of a broader response to the Bondi Beach massacre and includes new licensing restrictions and ownership caps.
