Four Melbourne people charged over two Sydney shootings

Four people from Melbourne have been charged over two shootings in Sydney. Detectives are now examining whether the same group may also be connected to the death of an innocent man.

The charges are a notable step for investigators working on the two Sydney shootings. The larger question, and the one police are now working through, is whether the group's alleged activity reaches beyond those two incidents to a fatal one.

At this stage, a link to the man's death is a line of inquiry rather than an established fact. Police are looking into the possibility, but nothing reported so far confirms it. The description of the man as innocent has added to the concern around the case and to public interest in what investigators find.

It is worth being clear about what being charged means. In Australia, a charge is an allegation put before a court, and it is not a finding of guilt. Each of the four is presumed innocent unless and until the allegations are proven. The court process will decide what the evidence shows and what, if anything, each person is responsible for.

The fact that the four are from Melbourne while the shootings happened in Sydney means the matter crosses state lines. Cases like this can involve cooperation between police in different states, including sharing intelligence and coordinating enquiries. Investigations of this kind commonly draw on ballistics testing, CCTV footage, and phone and vehicle records to work out whether weapons, vehicles or people connect separate scenes.

Shootings in suburban streets and public places cause understandable alarm in the surrounding community. Residents in the affected areas will be watching closely to see whether the arrests bring the sense of safety they want, and whether the inquiry into the man's death leads to further charges.

Further detail on the specific charges, and on when the four are due to appear in court, is expected to emerge as the matter proceeds. Investigators have not publicly tied the group to the man's death, and any move to do so would depend on what the evidence supports.

Police regularly ask anyone with information about serious crime to come forward, even if it seems minor. Information can be passed on to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and reports can be made anonymously.

This story is based on a report from 9 News Australia and will be updated as more information becomes available.