A local hero plumber has revealed how he chased two alleged gunmen through residential streets after being woken by gunshots.
Father-of-three Daniel Klinsic spoke of the terrifying incident that occurred on Thursday night in Austral, a south-western Sydney suburb.
Around 11.05pm on Thursday night police were called following reports of gunshots on Sixteenth Ave.
At least six shots were fired at a family home.
A short time later, they received further reports a vehicle had crashed on Craik Avenue, before two men ran from the scene.
On arrival, they found bullet casings and a fuel cannister inside the abandoned vehicle which had been reported stolen.
Mr Klinsic told reporters he was home asleep with his wife when they were woken by a loud bang.
Wearing only his pyjamas with no shoes, Mr Klinsic gave chase to the alleged offenders.
‘So I bolted down the stairs, straight out,’ he said.
Local hero tradie Daniel Klinsic (pictured) revealed how he chased two alleged gunmen through residential streets after being woken by gunshots
CCTV vision from the scene of the terrifying incident in Austral in Sydney’s south-west on Thursday night
‘I saw the guy running down there, so I gave chase barefooted. I was about 50 metres away from him, but obviously, being barefooted, I couldn’t run any further.
‘I could see exactly what he was wearing, I saw the whole lot,’ he said.
He said chasing after the alleged gunman was a reflex action.
‘It was just natural instinct. Get the p**** down on the floor,’ he said.
Mr Klinsic said the alleged offender was panting.
‘[I was thinking] ‘I’m gonna get ya, I’m gonna get ya. But then I hit gravel. I can’t run gravel in barefoot.’
He said the alleged offender was on the phone as he was running, ‘obviously trying to contact someone to pick him up’.
Mr Klinsic admits he was scared, but added he was motivated by protecting his family.
‘When it’s around my family, I just kick in, I didn’t think about guns. If I had… shoes on I would have got him.’
Mr Klinsic joked it was ‘probably lucky he didn’t catch him’ as the man he was chasing was allegedly armed.
When he later saw the bullets in the alleged offenders’ car, Mr Klinsic admitted that’s when the realisation kicked in.
‘F***, this could’ve turned nasty real quick,’ he said.
Neighbours said they are not surprised Mr Klinsic gave chase as it is quite a common occurrence.
‘There’s been a bit of a nuisance like doing burnouts and all that up the street and speeding up and down the street,’ Mr Klinsic said.
Police are pictured on the scene at Austral in Sydney’s south-west where a barefoot tradie chased an alleged gunman on Thursday night
‘So I’ve chased a couple of people up the road and cars. I just don’t think, I just go for it.’
Police recovered an empty pistol magazine on Seventeenth Avenue and around 11.35pm located a 30-year-old man on Fourth Avenue.
He was taken to Liverpool Police Station and is assisting police with inquiries.
On Friday morning police located a silver gun believed to have been used in the incident.
Inquiries are ongoing.
