A daughter told today how proud she was of her father after he was shot while trying to help a fellow Sydney businessman in an armed raid this morning.
But Samantha, who declined to give her family's surname, said she wished her father John hadn't intervened and been hurt.
"My father is always like that, he helps everybody who needs it,'' she said. "Everyone loves him. It is a family-run business so we are here today.''
Her 42-year-old father was shot in the groin in the attack by two men on Clemton Park Newsagency on William Street, Earlwood about 6.30am.
Samantha said she spoke to him just before surgeons started to operate on his wound, which has left him in a serious but stable condition.
"He was fully conscious. He was awake. He's going to be fine. He promised me,'' she said. "He was just trying to make us feel better.''
They ordered the newsagency owner and a neighbouring shopkeeper to the back of the store, closed the front door, and demanded the safe be opened.
But the owner was unable to open it, Detective Inspector Calman said.
A woman who heard screams from the newsagency walked into the nearby cake shop and told John a robbery was in progress, said Samantha.
John ran towards the newsagency while his wife called the police.
"He has confronted one of the offenders and [we believe this] lead to a physical altercation,'' Detective Inspector Calman said. "He has not been aware there was a second male offender in the store.''
The second robber is believed to have pulled out a semi-automatic revolver and shot John before stealing cash and running off.
"I've met John. He is very friendly and a very helpful person ... he is very popular.''
Throughout the morning customers arrived at the cake shop and were disappointed to see it was closed.
A sign outside the shop said: "Shop closed today due to family reasons, sorry.''
Many of the customers said they had a personal connection with John.
One man, Jim, said he had a running joke with John about his currant scones.
"I always had a joke that I wanted the scones with the flies in,'' he said.
"When I came in John would say 'I haven't had a chance to get the net and collect the flies'.''
Ross Papas, who owns a flooring business next door to the newsagency, said he was shocked to hear John had been shot.
John's act of stepping in to help a fellow business owner was typical of his good nature, said Mr Papas, who opened his store a few months ago.
"He would give me half-priced pies and always asked me how I'm trading.''
Visibly shocked
Amrita Kumar and Jai Karan, who lived above the cake shop, were shocked when they were told John had been shot.
Mr Karan described John as a hard worker, who would park his car opposite the cake shop about 5am each morning and not leave until late in the afternoon.
"He's a very nice guy ... sometimes if I went to buy something he'd just give it to me for free," Mr Karan said.
Anna Danas and her husband, who lived in a nearby street, said they came to know John in recent years.
"We all know John. He's such a good guy,'' she said.
"It didn't surprise me that John would help someone ... that's just like him.''
She said her husband, who would occasionally go fishing and camping with John, was with him at the hospital.
Fellow shopkeepers said John worked in the shop for at least 20 or 30 years.
The Herald understands John is married with children.
Ten to 15 relatives walked into the cake shop about 10.10am, but refused to speak to the media.
The cake shop is about 60 metres from the newsagency.
Exit wound
John was taken to St George Hospital and was in a serious but stable condition after surgery, Detective Inspector Calman said.
John appeared to have an exit wound in his buttocks, an ambulance spokesman said.
Police have found the bullet that was shot at John and have also seized CCTV footage from the newsagency.
The two offenders fled the newsagency and were last seen in a black ute turning onto Bexley Road, police said.