The revelations, which came in the opening day of an inquest into the 16-hour siege of a central Sydney cafe, are likely to further fuel questions about how New South Wales Police responded to the December 15 incident, especially their choice of weapons.
Of the five shots fired by Man Haron Monis, a self-styled Muslim cleric who took 18 people hostage, only one found a target, counsel assisting the coroner Jeremy Gormly told the inquest.
Monis shot and killed cafe manager Tori Johnson execution-style, prompting police to storm the cafe in the early hours of December 16, Gormly said.
All the injuries that followed — two fatal, including those to Monis, and four non-fatal — were caused by police fire, according to the evidence.
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Seeking answers
Several investigations into what occurred over the two days of the siege are underway, including what information security agencies had on Monis, and how the police handled the crisis.
Lawyers representing Dawson, Johnson and the police force will appear at the inquest, as well as lawyers representing two tactical response officers.
Johnson’s family members were in attendance, as well as John O’Brien, one of the first hostages to escape.
