Wesley Prentice, a 40-year-old from Rutherford, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest in the lounge room of a unit at a Darby Street NSW Housing complex about 12.45pm on Thursday.

Mr Prentice, who did not live at the property, died at the scene.

"I'm appealing to the public, specifically anyone who has dashcam footage and who was travelling along Darby Street between 12 midday and 1pm on Thursday the 22^nd of July, if they could contact police or Crime Stoppers," Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said on Monday morning.

He said the post mortem was being conducted on Mr Prentice's body on Monday.

Police want to speak with a man and woman seen running from the block of flats immediately after the shooting - they were seen climbing into a car on Parkway Avenue and fleeing the scene.

Detectives from Newcastle City Police District - with assistance from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad - have established Strike Force Hibbard to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man's death.

Anyone with information or footage from the Darby Street area around the time of the incident can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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