Police believe family caught in Merrylands shooting were the wrong targets
A family of five caught up in a shooting in Sydney’s southwest are believed to have been the wrong targets, with the real target moving out of the house months earlier, police say.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A “very shaken” family in Sydney’s southwest has had their house shot at overnight, in what police believe was a targeted attack on a previous resident.
Officers attended a house in Crossland St, Merrylands after receiving reports of shots fired at 3.15am on Saturday.
Police discovered a number of bullets which had been fired into the house, with the shots getting “very close” to the family of five inside.
Police say the 30-year-old woman and her four children were not the targets of the shooting, with Detective Superintendent Simon Glasser claiming a former resident of the same address is believed to be the intended target.
“We believe that it was a targeted attack but the target of the attack had moved out of that residence some months ago,” he said.
“This was a highly reckless and violent attack on an innocent family. An innocent family caught in the crossfire.
A short time after the shooting, police were called to Chiswick Rd in South Granville – about 2km from the shooting – after reports came in about a car fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW attended and located three vehicles alight and worked to extinguish the blaze. All three vehicles were destroyed.
No injuries have been reported over the shooting.
Police allege the two incidents are linked as they allege a silver or grey Nissan X-TRAIL was used in the shooting, taken to the Chiswick address and set on fire.
Police say two offenders were seen on CCTV fleeing the Chiswick scene towards Duck Creek, Auburn.
Crime scenes have been established at both areas, with investigations into the incidents remain ongoing.
However, Det. Supt Glasser told the media the person who they believe to have been the original target of the shooting is known to police.
“We believe we know who the target is and it is not the family that resides at that address,” he said.
“The person we believe was the target is well known to police.”
A terrified resident has revealed she is “living in fear” after the alleged shooting.
Haifa Philippe was asleep in her south west Sydney home when she heard a series of gunshots last night.
“At around 3am we heard ‘pew pew pew pew pew’, it was very loud,” Ms Philippe said.
“I jumped up quickly because I thought something had happened.
She saw police outside and stayed in her house, too afraid to come outside.
“I was so scared … I used to leave my door unlocked all the time but not anymore. We live in fear, but what can we do? We own the home,” Ms Philippe said.
“Where are we going to the whole family live here,” she said.
Confession: Ahmed Haouchar admits to $35m cocaine import
It was an audacious plan, set to bring 100kg of cocaine onto the streets of Sydney. When the drugs touched down on the tarmac at Sydney Airport, Ahmed Haouchar thought he was home and hosed. Then the cops showed up.
‘I hope you die’: Lawyer’s war with elderly woman over $1.8m
A criminal lawyer is embroiled in a $1.8 million war with an elderly eastern suburbs woman, in court cases featuring a legendary jazz singer and criminal charges over abusive text messages.