WA police have vowed to crack down on criminal gangs following a fatal shooting in the northern Perth suburb of Gnangara yesterday, with detectives confirming the victim had links to bikie members.
A 34-year-old man was found dead at a workshop premises on Sydney Road after being shot.
Police say investigations are ongoing and no arrests have yet been made, but they reassured there was no active threat to the community, as it was a targeted attack.
Commissioner Col Blanch said a number of search warrants had already been carried out, with more to come, to "send a clear message to those in the community that want to commit these acts of violence that it is not tolerated".
"If people think that they can, in cold blood, shoot people in Western Australia, then the police will be coming for them."
'Toughest bikie and firearms laws in the nation'
Police Minister Paul Papalia reiterated that Western Australia will continue to crack down hard on gang-related crime.
"This type of act is exactly why the government is giving the Western Australian police the toughest bikie and firearms laws in the nation," the minister said.
As well as recent amendments to the firearm act and consorting legislation, Minister Papalia said the government was also working on amendments to the surveillance devices act and the criminal investigation act "to enable police to more effectively target outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime".
Commissioner Blanch issued a direct warning to criminal gangs: "If you get out of line, you start doing things like this, then the gang crime squad will come for you".
Police appeal for witnesses
Neighbours reported hearing several gunshots and say they saw both a car and a motorcycle leaving the scene shortly afterwards.
The property where the shooting took place is a warehouse, which neighbours say is a shared workspace used by mechanics.
The area is semi-rural, with small farms immediately surrounding the warehouse.
Police are asking for anyone who was in the area between 1pm and 4pm on Thursday afternoon that might have information or any CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage, to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
