A strata meeting at a unit block in Sydney's west erupted into violence on Thursday night when an 85-year-old man allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the strata manager in the neck following a long-running dispute, a neighbour who witnessed the shooting claims.
The strata manager, 66, and the octogenarian both remain in hospital on Friday following their bloody confrontation on the landing of Cruachan Court on Quigg Street in Lakemba.
Mercedes Bush, who owns a unit in the block, told Fairfax Media she was one of seven owners who attended the strata meeting at 6.30pm on Thursday. She claims that, during the meeting, the owners voted to "get rid of him [the strata manager]".
Ms Bush said she was standing between the strata manager, whom she named as Stephen Smith, and the 85-year-old, who she named as Ili Studor, when the shooting occurred.
"I was there last night. I saw it, I was between the man and the other man," Ms Bush said.
"He [Mr Smith] had blood on his neck and I think he jumped from where he is standing last night, he jumped from the stairs ... I saw them in the corner after the shooting ... Mr Stephen is very big, more than Mr Studor; he's only five foot and very skinny and he is 85 now.
"Of course I was scared. I ran away from them and fled to number six unit to escape from them, but everybody ran away."
Police said they were called to the block about 6.45pm after reports of a shot being fired.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said the 66-year-old victim was recovering in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Friday morning with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The 85-year-old was taken to the same hospital with a suspected fractured skull. He was in a serious condition on Friday morning, and remained under police guard.
"At this early stage of the investigation it is believed the older man shot the younger man during a meeting in the common area of the building," police said in a statement on Friday morning.
"It is further believed the older man was injured when falling down stairs during the incident."
The police spokeswoman would not comment on whether the violence erupted at a strata meeting.
Ms Bush said Mr Studor had lived in the unit block since 2008, and kept mainly to himself.
"I only know that he has a gun when he shoot the man, but I don't know, he keeps to himself. This is the first time that I saw him that he has a gun, because he shoot the man last night," she said.
"After he shoot him he ran away on the steps going down, and he was on the concrete. I think Mr Stephen jumped from where he was standing last night, jumped from the stairs to grab Mr Studor."
Ms Bush said the owners had been unhappy with the strata manager for several years, and had even made an application to a tribunal to terminate his services.
Another neighbour, Constantine Birbas, told Channel Nine that he had known Mr Studor for nearly eight years and he was shocked to hear of Thursday night's alleged events.
"He's always a quiet person. He told me he was lonely, he had never been married, and he's more than 80 years old," Mr Birbas said.
"He's always active. He ... does little jobs around, and I thought he owned the place, I never ask him and then he's the same religion with us, he send us Christmas postcards with Greek names on it every year.
"I don't believe it. It's unbelievable whatever happened, you know?"
Mr Smith has been contacted for comment.