Man shot dead on suspicion of gang involvement in downtown Sydney

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A large police investigation is underway after a man was shot dead while sitting in his car at Sydney’s Bondi Junction.

Gunshots were heard around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and roads around Spring Street near the popular shopping complex Westfield were immediately closed to traffic.

“A man was shot dead at Bondi Junction today,” New South Wales Police said in a statement.

Police said he was sitting in his car in the parking lot when he was targeted.

“The male driver died at the scene. Although he has not been formally identified, he is believed to be in his 40s,” the statement said.

They declined to comment on reports that Tuesday’s death was the latest in a spate of gang murders in Sydney.

Roads are closed and drivers are urged to avoid the area. Three crime scenes were identified.

Waverly City Council said the police investigation targeted the area between Spring Street (at the corner of Newland Street) and Dennison Street.

Staff at a local coffee shop told ABC they saw police in bulletproof vests crowding the streets before 9 a.m.

He ran into an apartment building.

“It all happened so quickly…it was a blast,” he said.

Both ends of the street were blocked and customers could not leave the coffee shop for about an hour.

“They weren’t allowing anyone in or out,” he said.

The man said he saw one person being taken away in an ambulance.

A police helicopter hovered over Bondi Junction late Tuesday morning. Police also taped off the area.

“This portion of Bondi Junction will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists for the next few hours,” the Woollahra City Council said in a statement.

Police believe a burned-out Porsche found on James Street at Bondi Junction early Tuesday morning is linked to the shooting.

They are also investigating whether a second burnt-out vehicle, a Holden Commodore found in Cooklane, Zetland, may also be involved.

-With AAP