Gangland shooting victim Amy Hazouri farewelled amid emotional scenes at Lakemba
Mourners have wiped back tears as the loved ones of gangland shooting victim Amy Hazouri prepare to say their final goodbyes to the innocent hairdresser in western Sydney.
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Gangland shooting victim Amy Hazouri is being farewelled amid sombre scenes around the streets of Lakemba as her loved ones say their final goodbyes.
Hairdresser Ms Hazouri was gunned down getting into a car with Lametta Fadlallah more than a fortnight ago, the 16th and 17th deaths in the gangland war.
The 39-year-old’s funeral is being held at Lakemba Mosque on Friday and she will be buried at Rookwood Cemetery later in the afternoon.
Her family, led by her father, carried her body up the steps to the mosque with others carrying framed images and her favourite pink teddy bear.
The Lebanese Muslim Association, who led the proceedings are building a water fountain to remember Ms Hazouri’s legacy.
Her heartbroken mother watched the ceremony on a livestream from Austria.
“Amy was at the wrong place at the wrong time, she is an innocent person,” Amy’s friend Louisa Sakr said.
“From a personal experience she was such a generous person who gave so much back to the community supporting her parents and siblings.
“I was in shock, I had spoken to her on Saturday night and on Sunday morning I woke to the news.
“Day by day it hurts more and more.”
Underworld sources told the Sunday Telegraph last week they believe $500,000 was paid to kill Ms Fadlallah.
Ms Fadlallah had twice married well-known figures in Sydney’s underworld.
Ms Hazouri will be lowered into the ground at Rookwood in a traditional Islamic ceremony after prayers with her family at the Lakemba mosque.
Ouside they released balloons as those close to her wept while her body was carried into hearse.
The site of her final resting place has been dubbed “gangster’s paradise” with the majority of those killed in the gangland war buried there just metres from each other.
So short is the plot for space that previous shooting victims are being buried close to a rail line as the historic cemetery slowly runs out of space.
It comes just a week after her family were split on whether she would be buried in Sydney or in Lebanon.
An online fundraiser to repatriate her back home had raised $18,000.
The women died after the gunmen tapped on the car window, moved a young girl’s head out of the way and fired more than a dozen bullets into the back seat.
Ms Hazouri had just finished work at the time and the pair were on the way to an engagement party at Ms Fadlallah’s partner’s restaurant in Strathfield.
Ms Fadlallah was laid to rest on Monday at a church in Punchbowl, with her two teenage sons watching on.
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