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The father who allegedly randomly fired up to 50 shots from his unit window in Sydney's inner west, injuring 16 people, has been identified as 60-year-old Artemios Mintzas.

Residents were locked down as a major police operation responded to a gunman firing up to 50 shots from a 30-calibre rifle on Georges River Road, near the intersection of Brighton Avenue, in Croydon Park about 7.45pm yesterday.

Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry alleged Mintzas was firing shots "indiscriminately" at passing cars from the window of his unit above a business, injuring more than a dozen people and hitting several cars.

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There are a number of restaurants, small businesses, a church, and a vet nearby. 

Mintzas allegedly exchanged fire with specialist and tactical police before they narrowed in, arresting him about 9.30pm and seizing a gun.

"Our tactical operations group are highly trained, very skilled at what they do, and they executed the plan extremely well," Parry told reporters this afternoon. 

Mintzas was also taken to hospital with minor injuries after glass smashed and shattered around his eye, and has since been released.

He is currently at Burwood Police Station and is expected to be charged with firearm offences later this afternoon.

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Croydon Park remains an active crime scene today as police scour the site looking for more evidence.

"We have found a number of items at the scene which will lead us to a number of lines in inquiry," Parry said. 

Investigations remain ongoing.

The public has been assured that there is no ongoing risk to their safety. 

Who is the accused shooter?

Mintzas is a customer service worker for Sydney Trains. 

His employment status is now under review pending the outcome of the investigation.

Parry said Mintzas is a father with very little history with police. 

He said he does not have a firearms license and does not have any links to terror, organised crime or mental health issues.

"He's a 60-year-old male who does have a couple of children and has very few recorded interactions with the police over the last 20 years," he said.

Mintzas' family has been notified. 

Detectives are currently questioning Mintzas to determine his motives and how he allegedly obtained the gun.

Parry said he is speaking "freely" with officers. 

"My 35 years in the police, there's been very few instances of this nature where somebody is randomly targeting people in the street driving past in vehicles," he said.

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At least 16 people injured

A total of 13 cars, including two police vehicles, and a nearby bus shelter were shot at with bullets shattering through the glass.

At least 16 people suffered minor injuries.

Three people were taken to hospital, including a man who was shot in the neck while he was in the backseat of a car with his family.

His family drove him to hospital, and he has since undergone surgery. 

"My understanding is that the injuries are not life-threatening and he is expected to survive thankfully," Parry said.

Two other people who were hospitalised have since been released.

No police officers were injured.

Parry said that it was "incredible" that no one was killed and, if not for the response by police, the situation could have been "a whole lot worse". 

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'Bang, bang, bang': Residents and police duck for cover

Local police who were first on the scene were forced to duck for cover and call in specialist and tactical police as shots rang out on Georges River Road.

Parry said last night's operation was "highly dangerous" as police put themselves at serious risk of death or injury.

"One shot was fired through the window of one of the police cars," he said.

"If the police vehicle was occupied at the time, that police officer would have sustained fatal injuries."

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told 2GB earlier this morning that body-worn footage showed police officers forced to take cover as they tried to help members of the public.

One of those officers had only graduated from the academy five weeks ago, he said. 

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A taxi driver who came under fire spoke to Today, saying he'd been driving when he heard a "bang, bang, bang".

"And then I looked next to me, and I saw a couple of holes through the window. How he missed me, I don't know, I'm just shocked," he said.

"It feels like it's a movie, you know what I mean? Like, I was just going home to watch the grand final, you know?"

Michele told 9News she was close to being shot.

"I came around here and then boom. I see the bullets had hit here, and the cement had actually sprayed out," she said.

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Premier says 'no place for this sort of violence' in NSW

Premier Chris Minns condemned last night's shooting, saying it has no place in NSW.

"There is no place for this sort of violence in our state," he said in a statement.

"A man has now been arrested on and remains under police guard in hospital, and I have full confidence in the NSW Police as they continue their investigation."

Minns praised the "incredible bravery" of police in what he described as a "confronting and dangerous" situation. 

"I saw firsthand the composure, professionalism and courage of the officers who responded to this life-threatening incident," he said.

"Their actions under pressure reflect the very best of the NSW Police Force who put themselves in harm's way every single day to keep us all safe."

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Thousands of dead fish that washed up on a Gold Coast beach last week are yet to be removed, but council has confirmed the water remains safe for swimming.

Images of scores of baitfish on the shore were posted to Facebook on Saturday by the Save Our Southern Gold Coast community group.

Department of Environment officers were tasked to inspect the area on Wednesday and found dead baitfish but "no obvious source of pollution".

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"On-site water quality monitoring indicated high water temperature and low dissolved oxygen in the area, which can cause fish deaths," a spokesperson said in a statement.

In a video posted to Facebook, Kath Down from Save Our Southern Gold Coast expressed her concern that the fish could be a biohazard.

The City of Gold Coast Council has conducted water quality testing and confirmed the water is safe for swimming.

The Gold Coast Waterways Authority is responsible for the clean-up.

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Australian affordable shoe retailer Famous Footwear has announced it will shut up shop permanently in the coming months.

The women's footwear brand, which has been operating for 25 years, confirmed to customers it will cease online orders by December 31.

It will then close its physical stores in NSW, Queensland and Victoria by early 2026.

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According to the brand's LinkedIn page, Famous Footwear employs over 200 people.

"It's with sadness we announce the end of our journey," the company said in a post on social media.

"Famous Footwear will be closing permanently, with our online store open until 31st December 2025.

"We've loved helping you find your famous fit for more than 25 years. We're truly grateful for the loyalty and support from our community over the years."

The brand said customers can still place orders until midnight on New Year's Eve this year.

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The remaining brick-and-mortar stores will be closed by early 2026.

Famous Footwear has 17 stores across Australia and is owned by parent company Asco International, which is based in Molendinar, Queensland.

The stores stock brands including Pied a Terre, Naughty Monkey, London Rebel and Venice Beach Shoes.

No reason was given for Famous Footwear's closure.

It comes after fellow Australian shoe brand Wittner collapsed into administration in April.

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Today is the second day of the first phase of the inquest.

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Communications Minister Anika Wells is set for face-to-face meetings with the heads of the three big Aussie telcos after major triple zero outages in the last month.

Optus suffered a serious outage in their emergency network system across four states, which led to the deaths of three people, whilst Telstra also suffered smaller outages.

On Sunday, Wells asked the CEO of Optus Stephen Rue, Telstra CEO Vicki Brady and TPG Telecom – the owner of Vodafone – CEO Inaki Berroeta for a meeting when parliament convenes tomorrow in Canberra for assurances the crucial emergency system will not let down Australians ahead of the bushfire and cyclone seasons.

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Wells said she was seeking accountability from the providers and to ensure their responsibilities and expectations are clear.

"Literally, I will be laying down the law", Wells said in an interview with ABC.

"Australians must be able to rely on our triple zero system, and Telcos must do better to give confidence back to Australians after the catastrophic failure on the part of Optus several weeks ago.

"It is a good time for everybody to get together and make sure our expectations are clear and to prepare for natural disaster season ahead."

Wells has already met with Optus executives last week to discuss the network's catastrophic triple zero outage.

The Australian Financial Review said letters to each of the company chiefs asserted the telcos needed to do more to prevent significant outages and failures.

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"On November 1, new rules mean carriers must share real-time network information detailing outages with relevant emergency services organisations and other appropriate entities including the Australian Communications and Media Authority," Wells wrote.

Wells, who only assumed her position as Communications Minister after the recent Federal election, insisted faster implementation of previous recommendations was not a significant factor in the critical outage, claiming the blame has to lie at the door of Optus.

"This is a catastrophic failure on the part of Optus," she said.

"They have spoken themselves to some of the things they have identified about what went wrong in their organisation a couple of weeks ago and it is my job to hold them to account to make sure they face serious consequences on the part of Australian taxpayers."

Wells is also set to announce a new triple zero watchdog in parliament this week, which will increase government oversight of the emergency system around the country.

The Australian Financial Review said letters to each of the company chiefs outlined the powers this new custodian would have.

"On November 1, new rules mean carriers must share real-time network information detailing outages with relevant emergency services organisations and other appropriate entities including the Australian Communications and Media Authority," Wells wrote.

Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh has criticised Wells for not making the meeting a public one, claiming it is in the public's interest given the serious nature of the recent triple zero outages.

"The contents of tomorrow's meetings should be made available to the public," she said. "It is up to the Minister to explain to Australians what she is doing to make sure confidence is restored in our triple zero network."

"At the very least, the Minister should front the Australian public afterwards and explain what actions she is making the telcos take to ensure the community has a fully functioning triple zero system."

Wells' office has been contacted for comment.

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After a short delay and much speculation, Australia and Papua New Guinea have signed a formal alliance, cementing Canberra's position as the security partner of choice for its closest neighbour, even as China seeks to increase its influence in the region.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his PNG counterpart James Marape this afternoon put pen to paper on the mutual defence agreement, also known as the Pukpuk Treaty.

The formal alliance, just the third in Australian history and the first in more than 70 years, puts PNG on the same level of partnership as the United States and New Zealand.

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It includes mutual defence obligations, requiring either nation to come to the aid of the other if it is ever attacked, and sets up a pathway for PNG citizens to enlist with the Australian Defence Force.

"I say on behalf of the government and the people of Australia, we consider it a great honour that our nearest neighbour is our newest ally," Albanese said. 

"This treaty contains a mutual defence obligation similar to Australia's ANZUS Treaty, where we declare in the event of an armed attack on either of our countries, we would both act to meet the common danger."

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The treaty, which was proposed by Marape, was slated to be signed last month, only for PNG to be unable to put together a cabinet quorum to approve it amid celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the young nation's independence.

While the agreement comes as China seeks to extend its influence in the Pacific, both leaders insisted the treaty was solely about the relationship between Australia and PNG.

"This treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason, but out of geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood," Marape said.

"It is about one bigger fence that secures two houses that has its own yard space. It is in this construct that we're going about in signing this treaty."

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But at the same time, it secures Australia's defence position in its closest neighbour, and Albanese said that, under the treaty, "both of the nations have also agreed not to undertake any activities or enter into any agreements that would compromise the implementation".

"Today, we have a cracker of a result," the prime minister added.

The full text of the treaty will be publicly released by the government and must still be ratified by both nations' parliaments.

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Indonesian rescuers searching for missing students after a prayer hall at an Islamic boarding school collapsed last week recovered more than two dozen bodies over the weekend search, bringing the confirmed death toll to 49.

Using jackhammers, circular saws and sometimes their bare hands, rescue teams diligently removed rubble in an attempt to find the 14 students reportedly still missing.

Rescuers found 35 bodies over the weekend alone, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

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The structure fell on top of hundreds of students, mostly boys between the ages of 12 and 19, on September 30 at the century-old Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo on the eastern side of Indonesia’s Java island.

Only one student escaped unscathed, authorities said, while 95 were treated for various injuries and released.

Eight others suffered serious injuries and remained hospitalised on Sunday.

Police said two levels were being added to the two-storey building without a permit, leading to structural failure.

This has triggered widespread anger over illegal construction in Indonesia.

“The construction couldn’t support the load while the concrete was pouring (to build) the third floor because it didn't meet standards and the whole 800 square metres construction collapsed,” Mudji Irmawan, a construction expert from Tenth November Institute of Technology, said.

Irmawan also said students shouldn't have been allowed inside a building under construction.

Sidoarjo district chief, Subandi, confirmed what the police had announced: the school’s management had not applied for the required permit before starting construction.

“Many buildings, including traditional boarding school extensions, in non-urban areas were built without a permit," Subandi, who goes by a single name, told The Associated Press yesterday.

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Indonesia's 2002 Building Construction code states that permits have to be issued by the relevant authorities prior to any construction, or else owners face fines and imprisonment.

If a violation causes death, this can lead to up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 8 billion rupiah (around $732,000).

The school's caretaker is Abdus Salam Mujib, a respected Islamic cleric in East Java. He offered a public apology in a rare appearance a day after the incident.

“This is indeed God’s will, so we must all be patient, and may God replace it with goodness, with something much better. We must be confident that God will reward those affected by this incident with great rewards,” he said.

Criminal investigations involving Muslim clerics remain sensitive in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

There has been no comment from school officials since the collapse.

“We will investigate this case thoroughly,” East Java Police Chief Nanang Avianto said.

“Our investigation also requires guidance from a team of construction experts to determine whether negligence by the school led to the deaths.”

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