Garry Sullivan, aged 78, was taken into custody following the execution of search warrants at two locations on the Gold Coast. The operation was linked to the alleged armed robbery and triple shooting that occurred at Chadstone Shopping Centre 32 years ago.
Sullivan now faces eight charges, including armed robbery, intentional infliction of serious injury, theft, common law assault, and reckless endangerment of life.
He made an appearance in Southport Magistrates Court on the day of his arrest and has since been transferred to the custody of Victoria Police.
Sullivan, who had a notable rugby league career with Newtown and represented Australia in the 1970 World Cup, was extradited to Melbourne this afternoon to confront the charges pending in Victoria.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 1 at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
The police action was prompted by fresh intelligence and recent forensic analysis of evidence collected from the crime scene.
It is alleged Sullivan was the masked gunman who shot two Armaguard employees at the shopping centre on May 16, 1994.
The men were at a cinema to retrieve the weekend’s takings when they were ambushed by a male offender wearing a balaclava with a handgun and a cardboard box.
A 54-year-old man was shot in the lower leg, before the bullet ricocheted off his ankle into the shoe of a 61-year-old man.
A 40-year-old bystander was also shot in the leg, causing “life-altering injuries”.
Sullivan is alleged to have made off with a bag which contained $80,000 in cash.
Carl Benjaminsen, the son of one of the injured Armaguard employees, was informed of the breakthrough today and said he “couldn’t believe” the news.
His father, Sverre, had died without ever seeing his alleged attacker brought to justice.
“It’s an unclosed chapter, it’s something that, yes it happened a long time ago… but [I was] conscious it was unsolved,” Carl told 9News.
