Dawood Zakaria: Teen charged over Sydney underworld murder as city reels from fresh spate of shootings
Police have arrested a man linked with an underworld killing, as Sydney continues to grapple with a spate of fatal public shootings.
Detectives on Wednesday charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of Sydney underworld figure Dawood Zakaria, who was gunned down in a vehicle in May, along with the attempted murder of another passenger.
The arrest came on the same day another man was shot dead in a targeted attack.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Zakaria, 32, died after the ute he was in, along with a lawyer who was injured, was riddled with bullets in Granville from people in a nearby Mercedes shooting several rounds about 5pm on May 25.
Samimjan Azari, seated in the rear of the vehicle and believed to be the intended target, was later targeted in a shooting in a kebab shop in Auburn in June, but escaped without serious injury.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box said the 19-year-old was not believed to be the shooter.
“We allege his actions (before), during and post the shooting amount to him being a principal and therefore being charged with the offences of murder and attempted murder,” he said.
“This was a shooting, a brazen shooting at 5pm on Sunday in the middle of Sydney. There could have been multiple victims, innocent victims.”
On Tuesday evening, a 22-year-old man was shot once while getting in the passenger side of a car in Winston Hills, in the city’s northwest.
He ran from the car, seeking help from residents, and later died in the hospital.
The car driver escaped unscathed and is being questioned by the police.
It’s the second public shooting in days after one man died in a gangland hit on two men outside a pub on Sunday.
Initial investigations showed the man shot on Tuesday was targeted but it was unclear if the shooting was gang-related, Superintendent Barry Vincent said.
“We are out looking for these offenders. This early stage would indicate this is a targeted shooting,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“I want to reassure the public that their local police and NSW Police are out there seeking to prevent these shootings and bring these people before the court as soon as possible.”
The victim is yet to be formally identified.
A burnt-out SUV believed to be linked to the fatal shooting was found in nearby suburb Old Toongabbie four hours after the shooting, Supt Vincent said.
The homicide is among more than a dozen public shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings across Sydney since Christmas, leading police to set up the 150-officer-strong Taskforce Falcon in May to crush the underworld warfare.
