Fairfield: Gunman attempts to shoot Sydney father during school pick-up

A gunman has allegedly tried to shoot a father as he collected his teenage daughter from school in Sydney’s west.

Headshot of Kimberley Braddish
Kimberley Braddish
The Nightly
A teenage girl narrowly escaped an attempted shooting outside a school in Sydney's south-west when a gunman's weapon jammed as he pointed it at her.

A gunman has allegedly attempted to shoot a father as he collected his teenage daughter from school in Sydney’s west.

Police were called to Hamilton Road shortly before 3pm on Tuesday after reports a man pointed a handgun at a 44-year-old father sitting in a ute parked in a driveway during school pick-up in Fairfield.

The man’s 15-year-old daughter was also in the vehicle at the time. Both got out and ran from the scene.

Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.

Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.

Email Us
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

“They got out of the car and the man ran away. Both were distressed but not physically injured by the incident,” NSW Police said in a statement.

Investigators are now examining whether the firearm may have jammed.

“The only description provided of the man with the gun was that he was dressed in black, wearing a black balaclava.”

Footage shows the father and daughter fleeing down a quiet street, with the man putting his arm around the girl as she urges him to be careful.

Police are still working to identify the gunman, however they believe the intended target may have been selected due to being related to organised crime figures, according to SMH.

There is no suggestion the man himself is involved in organised crime.

Earlier on Tuesday, police made arrests following the shooting of a funeral venue that was expected to host the family of Lorenzo Lemalu, a senior figure in the so-called Coconut Cartel who was shot dead in Vietnam.

Footage from that incident showed a gunman firing almost 30 rounds from what is believed to be a modified SKS-style, military-type rifle into the Punchbowl venue, which was empty at the time.

On Tuesday, police arrested a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, and a 23-year-old man, Ronald Donovan.

Both were charged with firing a weapon and participating in organised crime activity. Donovan was refused bail and is expected to remain in custody until August.

Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the Fairfield incident, or has dashcam or other footage from the area around the time, to contact Fairfield Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Latest Edition

The Nightly cover for 10-06-2026

Latest Edition

Edition Edition 10 June 202610 June 2026

White hot anger in Belfast as attempted beheading fires up British anti-immigration movement.