Gangland shooting: Family had warned underworld figure that he was in danger

Sydney’s latest gang war has claimed the life of a ­second family member, with two brothers now dead after joining a vicious street gang known as the True Kings.

Amar Kettule, a well-known crime figure, was killed in a hail of bullets early on Sunday morning, dying like his teenage brother ­Dyllan did six years ago.

He was ambushed in Downey Lane, Fairfield, just 30m from DK’s Shawarma & Burgers eatery which is owned by a surviving ­brother, Feras.

Amar, 34, was shot in his car as he sat next to his ­girlfriend at 2.40am near the family restaurant.

Police will interview her further to try and trace Amar’s movements leading up to his murder.

Fairfield shooting victim Amar Kettule. Picture: Facebook

In eerily similar circumstances, in 2014 his younger brother, Dyllan, was shot and killed as he sat with his girlfriend outside a block of units in Canley Vale at 2.45am on a Sunday morning.

As 19-year-old Dyllan lay dying, Amar raced to the scene and had to be restrained by police.

Dyllan, like his brother, was known to have extensive criminal links with the ­Nomads bikie gang. Amar was believed to be particularly close to Nomads president Sleiman Tajjour.

A known standover man who extorted money from anyone he could, including businesses and drug dealers, Amar was a senior member of the True Kings, a street gang who are sworn enemies of the DLASTHR gang.

“It’s part of the investigation (the feud) and a line of inquiry but the cause and motive is very unknown, it’s still very early in the ­investigation,’’ Acting ­Fairfield Commander Detective Superintendent Glen ­Fitzgerald said.

One of many online tributes came from Amar’s close friend of 20 years, Ronda.

The bullet-ridden car is taken from the scene. Picture: Damian Shaw

“You left me with beautiful memories that will always remind me of that caring, kind, nurturing beautiful soul you were that not everyone got to see,” she wrote.

“You broke many hearts today ... may you Rest In Peace.”

At a Kettule family residence in Harrington Park on Sunday about 50 men and a handful of women — all dressed in black — were mourning together outside.

Amar’s brother Feras was seated in the middle of the pack, being consoled by his friends.

The site of a vigil being held for murdered standover man Amar Kettule in Fairfield. Picture: Adam Yip

Following Dyllan’s execution in 2014, the men’s father, Najah Kettule, pleaded with young people in southwest Sydney to turn away from violent crime.

“The young people come from different backgrounds where there is no respect for the law and they have to understand that this country has a law that should be respected,’’ Mr Kettule said.

“I appeal to my brothers of the Iraqi community to co-operate with police officers whenever needed.”

A close friend of the family said Amar had been warned by his family to “stay out of trouble”.

Family and friends at the vigil site. Picture: Adam Yip

“They said: ‘If you keep going that way you’re going to die’,” the friend said. “He got into trouble but he was a lovely man with a big heart.”

The man said the family was in a “very bad” way.

“They are very bad ... Dyllan died on Australia Day six years ago, that is only 10 days from now. The same month. It’s terrible,” he said.

Amar worked as a doorman nearly a decade ago in Kings Cross but more recently was known to frequent nightclubs in Cockle Bay.

He had also been partying with other gang members at a popular Lebanese restaurant in the Bankstown area.

DLASTHR and the True Kings are sub-branches of the Assyrian Kings, the gang behind the stabbing murder of 25-year-old police officer David Carty in 1997.

“These street gangs come and go with different names every couple of years,’’ a senior police source said. “A few years ago DLASTHR was all but dead and buried but then an old gang member gets out (of jail) every so often and he tries to start it up again.”