Greenacre shooting: Innocent victims revealed as two men and a woman gunned down in parked cars

A young couple have become the latest innocent victims of a shooting on Sydney’s streets which left a third man on life support. Get the latest details here.

Three people were injured in a shooting in Greenacre overnight. Picture: 9 News

A young couple have become the latest innocent victims of a shooting on Sydney’s streets which left a third man on life support, as politicians became embroiled in a war of words over what can be done to stop the violence.

Police say the shooting in an industrial area of Greenacre on Sunday morning has the hallmarks of the hits that have become common in Sydney’s gang war in recent years, except for one thing - none of the victims have known links to organised crime, or criminal records.

It was about 2.15am when a gunman opened fire on Ahmad Al-Azzam as he sat parked in a silver Toyota on Mayvic St, hitting him multiple times including in the head.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal police investigators are working on the theory that Al-Azzam, 25, was the intended target of the shooting, due largely to the high volume of bullets which peppered his car.

Police and forensic officers investigate the scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Incredible video of a burnt out car in Regents Park, just minutes after the Greenacre shooting.

Fire crews were soon on scene and extinguished the blaze.

But they are yet to determine why he was targeted, considering his lack of links to the underworld.

Kaashif Richards, 22, and Achiraya Jantharat, 19, were parked 50 metres down the road when the barrage of shots that left Al-Azzam fighting for life rang out.

One of the gunman’s shots pierced their car, hitting the innocent Richards in his neck and Jantharat in her back.

Police sources said while Richards and Jantharat were together, they did not know Al-Azzam.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said detectives were “throwing everything” at finding the shooter.

“Twenty investigators have hit the ground running in Auburn, they’ll be joined by State Crime Command,” Asst Comm Smith said.

“We are ramping up everything at the moment to get on top of what occurred last night.

“It has all the hallmarks of an organised crime hit, however there are no links to organised crime by any of the people involved.

Forensic officers on the scene of the shooting on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Monique Harmer

The silver Toyota Aurion that Ahmad Al Azzam was shot in. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Monique Harmer

“A further shot was fired through a second vehicle which has travelled through the body of the male driver into the (female) victim.

“That is what we know. We are not going to speculate on anything else, but we are throwing everything at it, the same way we always do.”

About five minutes after Al-Azzam, Richards and Jantharat were shot, a BMW station wagon stolen from a home in the city’s eastern suburbs earlier this year, was found on fire near Amy St in nearby Regents Park.

Police believe this was the shooter’s getaway car, with incredible video of the fire captured powerful flames emerging from the car, and also incinerating a nearby tree and wooden fence.

Emergency services were called to Mayvic St shortly after 2.15am on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Monique Harmer

At the same time firefighters were putting out that blaze, police were performing first aid on the victims of the shooting.

Asst Comm Smith said the efforts of two police to provide first aid and CPR, likely “saved lives”.

Sunday morning’s shooting comes off the back of an attempted assassination at a Marrickville barber shop and the Bondi Junction execution of powerful underworld identity and Comanchero bikie Alen Moradian.

It has sparked a war of words between Police Minister Yasmin Catley and her predecessor Paul Toole over what can be done to stop the violence.

Minister Catley said police had launched Strike Force Aplina to investigate the Greenacre shooting.

“I think most Sydney-siders feel the same way I do about this disgusting and murderous gang violence - they’ve had a gutful,” she said.

“The police are working around the clock to find the perpetrators of all these recent shootings and put them where they belong - behind bars.

“We have the elite Homicide Squad detectives on the case. Today they have created Strike Force Aplina to get to the bottom of this latest cowardly attack at Greenacre.”

Opposition police spokesman Paul Toole accused Minister Catley of not adequately informing the public about what was being done to combat gang warfare.

Auburn Police Area Commander Simon Glasser addresses the media. Picture: NSW Police

“The minister needs to come out and tell us what actions she‘s taking to proactively support our police in giving them the resources they need right now, to be able to deal with the spate of shootings that we’re seeing across Sydney right now,” he said.

“Not (all) shootings are taking place after dark, these are shootings that are taking place in the middle of the day in public spaces and the community deserves to feel safe.

“The Minister has a responsibility here to back up the police and tell us what is happening.”

Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of either the Greenacre or Regents Park scenes between 2am and 2.30am, and has information or dashcam vision relevant to the investigation, to contact Auburn Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.