Sydney shooting: Man sought for killing teen siblings is found dead

A man being sought after a teenage girl and boy were killed in a suspected domestic violence-related shooting at a home in Sydney’s northwest has been found dead.

The suspect’s body was found early this morning at another home in Normanhurst, about seven kilometres from the scene of the initial killings, NSW Police have confirmed.

It’s believed the man, aged in his 50s, was the father of the children.

The 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were found shot dead in their bedroom in a “horrific scene” inside a home in northwest Sydney.

Detectives had expected that the man could assist with their inquiries into the slayings at the home in a quiet West Pennant Hills street.

Neighbours heard gunshots in Hull Road about 5.30pm and the first paramedics at the scene ­determined the children could not be revived.

Their mother, who arrived home to find her children dead and police at the house, was hysterical. She was treated at the scene for severe shock.

Sharon Hillbrick, who lives in a house metres from what is now the crime scene, said her son was watching a movie when the incident happened.

“We thought the sounds were coming from the movie,” she said this morning. “I all of a sudden was receiving text messages, phone calls saying, ‘are you okay?’ We did hear a gun shot.

“As a mother, I cannot even imagine what the mother is going through.

“It can happen anywhere to anyone, and it’s awfully scary that it happened up the road. It certainly hit home.”

Police said it was difficult to get information from surviving family members because they were so traumatised by the tragedy.

Brett McFadden, acting commander for the northwest metropolitan region for NSW Police, said the first officers and paramedics at the home had been through “a very harrowing experience”.

“An investigation has now commenced to determine the circumstances of those deaths,” he said. “The Ryde police area command are working very closely with the homicide squad. We have identified a person of interest who we are currently seeking.

“We consider this to be very much a targeted incident.

“We do believe that it may well be a ­domestic-violence-related ­incident. Our focus at the moment is on the investigation to locate our person of interest.”

Police declined to identify the man but said they did not believe he posed a threat to the community due to the targeted nature of the attack.

The first police on the scene were met by frantic neighbours, who were later seen in tears and embracing each other in the street.

Hull Road residents struggled to comprehend how someone could harm children. One woman said she was “shaking” at the thought of it. A mother, who did not want to be named, said the suburb was a popular choice for young families. She said the community was extremely close-knit and everyone knew each other.

Paramedics, also visibly shaken, were comforted by a NSW Ambulance chaplain.

“When paramedics arrived on scene this afternoon, we were confronted with an extremely distressing and stressful situation,” a shaken Inspector Kevin McSweeney, from the NSW Ambulance service, said. “We found two teenagers ­unfortunately deceased in their bedroom. And at that time there was unfortunately nothing we could do to help them.”

NSW Ambulance initially sent seven ambulances and a helicopter to the scene. When it became apparent the children could not be revived the ambulance service chaplain was sent to the street. Hull Road was closed and a crime scene was established 150m along the street.

An extensive forensic examination of the home was carried out.

The children’s mother was initially reported to have been seriously injured but instead was treated for shock.

The double murder was just 5km from Carlingford, where a five-year-old was allegedly stabbed to death by his 36-year-old father last month.

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