Key Points
Former rugby league player arrested 32 years after alleged Chadstone robbery and triple shooting.
Sullivan, 78, allegedly lived quietly in Queensland for 20 years before arrest.
Fresh forensic testing and new intelligence prompted police to reopen the cold case.
Three men shot during May 1994 robbery: two Armaguard officers and one bystander.
Police arrested 78-year-old Garry Sullivan on May 28 over an armed robbery and triple shooting at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre on May 16, 1994. Sullivan, a former rugby league player, allegedly shot two Armaguard security officers and a bystander before escaping with bags of cash. Victoria Police reopened the cold case after 32 years following fresh forensic evidence and new intelligence.
The 1994 Crime and Arrest
On May 16, 1994, two Armaguard employees aged 61 and 54 attended Chadstone Shopping Centre’s cinema at 11:40am to collect the weekend’s takings. A lone offender wearing a balaclava and armed with a handgun allegedly confronted them as they exited with three bags of cash. The 54-year-old guard was shot in the lower leg, with the bullet striking his right ankle before deflecting into the shoe of the second officer. A 40-year-old Doveton man who attempted to help was also shot in the leg, suffering life-altering injuries. All three men were hospitalised for gunshot wounds.
How Police Found Sullivan After 32 Years
Victoria Police’s Armed Crime Squad reopened the investigation earlier in May 2026 after receiving fresh intelligence and conducting new forensic testing of crime scene evidence. Police from the Gold Coast Major Organised Crime Squad arrested Sullivan during coordinated raids at two addresses in Southport and Nerang on May 28. Detectives alleged Sullivan had been living a quiet life in Southport for about 20 years. Officers seized multiple mobile phones, two laptops, and a quantity of cash during the raids.
Charges and Court Appearance
Sullivan has been charged with armed robbery, intentionally causing serious injury, two counts of intentionally causing injury, reckless conduct endangering life, theft, and carrying a gun without a certificate. He appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on May 28 in prison greens and was set to be released into Victoria Police custody the following day to face court in Victoria. The arrest followed a public appeal for information earlier in May that led to the breakthrough.
Final Thoughts
The arrest of Sullivan after 32 years shows how advances in forensic science and persistent cold case investigations can solve decades-old crimes. Victims and their families may finally see justice in court.
FAQs
Sullivan, 78, is a former rugby league player arrested for an alleged 1994 armed robbery at Chadstone Shopping Centre that left three men with gunshot wounds.
Sullivan allegedly lived undetected in Southport, Queensland for approximately 20 years before his arrest in May 2026, over 32 years after the 1994 incident.
Sullivan faces armed robbery, intentionally causing serious injury, two counts of intentionally causing injury, reckless conduct endangering life, theft, and unlicensed firearm possession.
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
About Author
Huzaifa Zahoor
Co FounderHuzaifa Zahoor is the engineer who built Meyka. He has spent years writing Python, training AI models, and building data pipelines specifically for financial markets. His technical articles have reached over 30,000 readers on Medium, so he knows how to make complex things easy to follow. If this article touches on how the tools work, he is the person who actually built them.
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