Panania shooting: Police increase patrols, ask community to report suspicious vehicles

As police scramble to solve another brazen shooting on the streets of southwest Sydney, extra officers and resources are being deployed into the area to ease community tensions.

As police scramble to solve another brazen shooting on the streets of southwest Sydney, extra officers and resources are being deployed into the area to ease community tensions.

The Canterbury-Bankstown community remains shaken almost 72 hours after the deadly shooting of 48-year-old Lametta Fadlallah and friend Amy Hazouri, 39, as they sat in their car outside Ms Fadlallah’s family home in Panania on Saturday night.

A 20-year old man and a 16-year old girl sitting in the car with them survived the shooting.

Bankstown Police Area Command superintendent Adam Johnson said the heightened safety concerns of residents was understandable.

“Although (at this early stage) we believe the shooting may have been targeted, it is very clear that those responsible had a clear disregard for innocent lives present and that of the community,” he said.

“Panania is very much a family orientated suburb. Police have increased patrols using local and regional resources to assist the community with their concerns.”

Superintendent Adam Johnson is the Commander at Bankstown Police Area Command, and was previously Commander at the Auburn PAC. Picture: Facebook/Bankstown PAC

Supt. Johnson also called on residents to immediately call police if they see unfamiliar cars or people in their streets.

Lametta Fadlallah was shot and killed outside her home in Panania, while sitting in a car. Picture: Facebook

Second-year apprentice Kody Rolton works at The Butchers Pantry in Panania and said the shop had been very quiet since news of the shooting rippled through the community.

“I heard about it the next day on the radio while I was serving customers. They looked at me and looked scared,” Mr Rolton said.

“I think a lot of people are second guessing coming out of their house.”

Amy Hazouri was killed in a hail of bullets in Panania on Saturday night.

Living just around the corner from the site of the shooting, Mr Rolton said it was disturbing to know there were people out there with access to guns who are willing to shoot people on a public street.

When told police were making extra patrols in the area to help the community feel safer, Mr Rolton said he backed the move “100 per cent” and was sympathetic for police officers for not being able to be everywhere at once.

“People these days, they don’t get shot for no reason,” Mr Rolton said. “But it’s still very sad.”

Strike Force Laurantus has been launched to investigate the shooting. Residents who saw or heard anything on Saturday night, or have CCTV/dashcam footage are encouraged to contact police.