World News – AU – Sydney House party occupied by masked men with guns, police suspect gang activity

Police chase several masked men into a house party, leaving two teenagers seriously injured in northwest Sydney.

Several men armed with knife, pistol, hammer and ax were seen on surveillance cameras at a Castle Hill house shortly after midnight today.

The house was short term rental used by a group of people who were having a party.

Police said the masked men threatened six people inside and an 18-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in the stomach.

Another 17-year-old man was hit over the head with a hammer in the back yard of the property.

Neighbor Sophie Hyne said she couldn’t sleep after hearing curses and loud noises from inside the house.

« This is such a quiet street and everyone is very, very friendly. The fact that this happened on our street is a bit scary, « she said.

Police believe the home invasion was linked to gang activity and the people at the party were likely targeted.

« People across Sydney should be concerned because we believe there may be a gang connection between two gangs from other parts of Sydney, » said Detective Inspector Chris Laird.

Several cell phones and wallets were stolen and the house was « destroyed » before the group escaped in an unidentified car.

Detective Inspector Laird also noted that the House Party broke current health orders in NSW and shouldn’t really have happened at all.

« The two young guys didn’t deserve to be stabbed, but at the same time they were given strict warnings overnight that no more than five people were allowed into houses, » he said.

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AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time, 10 hours before GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

Castle Hill, house invasion, Sydney, stinging