An 18-year-old Indian Australian man, Ekampreet Sahni, was fatally shot at Newcastle’s Bar Beach late Wednesday night, triggering a major police investigation and community outrage. The shooting, which took place around 11:40 pm during a car meet, has left the city shaken and authorities scrambling to find the armed attackers.
According to eyewitnesses, a confrontation between two groups escalated into a physical altercation before a stolen SUV suddenly arrived at the scene. Two masked men, one reportedly carrying a rifle and the other a handgun equipped with a laser sight, jumped out of the vehicle and began threatening the crowd.
“He’s standing right there with a big gun, and the other guy had a laser sight and was pointing it at everyone,” witness Nick Brown told the 7News media.
“Then the one with the rifle just walked up and shot him. It was horrific to watch.”
Sahni was critically injured and died at the scene. His devastated family, who were also present, clung to hope until the grim reality became clear.
“It was every parent’s worst nightmare,” said a family friend.
“They were hugging each other, praying he was okay.”
In the hours following the shooting, the stolen SUV was found torched in the Lake Macquarie area, accompanied by loud explosions as the vehicle burned.
Residents, like Peter Lewis, described the fire as terrifying.
“There were explosions and the flames were high. It was pretty wild.”
Police are now hunting the suspects, who had fled before authorities arrived. Investigators are working to determine whether Sahni was targeted or a victim of random violence. At this stage, police believe the earlier fight at the beach was unrelated to the fatal shooting.
“This sort of violence is not what we ever want to see on our streets,”
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said in a statement.
A dedicated strike force has been formed to investigate the shooting. Acting Superintendent Steve Benson confirmed that significant resources have been committed.
“I can assure the Newcastle community that we are doing everything possible to track down those responsible and bring them to justice,”
he said.
The murder has sparked calls for increased safety measures at public gatherings and more action to tackle illegal firearms.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
