Son’s desperate act after dad shot dead

The 12-year-old son of a man shot dead in a drive-by execution in Sydney desperately tied to save his father.

A 12-year-old boy who saw his father gunned down in a brazen drive-by shooting in Sydney’s south west desperately tried to get help as his dad lay dying.

Celebrity chauffeur Taha Sabbagh, 40, has been named as the victim of the horror shooting outside the Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton on Thursday at 6.30am.

He was killed in what police suspect was a targeted organised crime murder, shot at least six times as his screaming 12-year-old son sat “right next to him” in his luxury Mercedes.

“All I heard was a young guy screaming: ‘Help me, help me, my dad’s been shot’,” one witness told The Daily Telegraph of the moment he arrived on the scene.

Mr Sabbagh was “shot with his 12-year-old son right next to him,” police said.

The shooting had all the “hallmarks” of a “targeted organised crime murder”, NSW Police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty told reporters.

The ‘loving’ dad shared a video of his young son just hours before he was killed. Picture: Instagram.

The clip was taken less than 12 hours before he was killed outside the same gym. Picture: Instagram.

“I know this happened in daylight in a suburban area of Sydney, and I think the community should be appalled that this happened in front of a 12-year-old, quite rightly,” Det Supt Doherty, who heads the state’s homicide squad, said.

“We’ve got a 40-year-old man who has been shot down in front of his son, and he is the victim.”

The young boy, Det Supt Doherty said, was “traumatised” by the incident, “but luckily he is uninjured. Physically uninjured”.

Police alluded to the possibility Mr Sabbagh was killed as part of ongoing organised crime warfare in parts of Sydney — an event that, if confirmed, would bring to an end a six-month ceasefire on the city’s streets.

Officers said the younger Sabbagh desperately ran from the scene to ask for help.

Mr Sabbagh with social media personality Hasbulla. Picture: Instagram.

Social media post just before death

Mr Sabbagh had posted a video of his young son at boxing training just hours before he was shot dead outside the same gym.

The “loving” dad’s last social media post at about 8pm on Wednesday night showed the young boy practising punching, blocking and dodging at the martial arts gym, where the family were regular clients.

When the father and his son returned to Elite Fight Force for another session less than 12 hours later, at least two gunmen opened fire.

Police suggested Mr Sabbagh’s death could have been connected to ongoing gang warfare in parts of Sydney. Picture: Instagram.

Mr Sabbagh was “intending to go to the gym”, Det Supt Doherty said, adding: “Associates of the victim have connections to that gym as well, and that’s why circumstances lend themselves to a targeted attack”.

“He (Mr Sabbagh) was not well known to police, he was associated with some people who are well known to police and have strong criminal activity connected to them,” he added.

Police suspect there were two people involved but are trying to establish their identities and motive.

Facebook page Request Dua — designed to request prayers from Sydney’s Islamic community in the wake of tragedy or sickness — shared the news of Mr Sabbagh’s death on Thursday, remembering him as a “loving son, brother, father, husband”.

“With great sadness and shock we announce our beloved brother Taha Sabbagh has returned to his Creator,” they wrote alongside a picture of the deceased.

“He will be missed greatly by all who knew him. Please remember our beloved and family and loved ones in your Dua. We ask Allah to give his family, wife and children comfort during this test.”

When police officers arrived to the popular Sydney gym on Thursday morning, they found Mr Sabbagh suffering a gunshot wound. He died at the scene.

A burnt-out Mazda 3 was also found nearby. Police said they believed there was a link between the car and the vehicle used in the shooting.

Car dealer Taha Sabbagh (right, with MMA legend Islam Makhachev) has been named as the man shot dead outside a Sydney gym. Picture: Instagram.

Mr Sabbagh met with and drove celebrities in his business, recently sharing a picture of Logan Paul. Picture: Instagram.

Mr Sabbagh, who the Daily Mail reports was a top driver for a number of luxury chauffeur services, often drove celebrities including social media star Hasbulla and recently shared photos of MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov and influencer-turned-boxer Logan Paul.

A friend remembered him as “a beautiful person who’s life was taken mistakenly and undeservedly.”

“May Allah accept him as a shaheed (Muslim martyr),” they wrote.

Family members and friends flocked to the scene in the hours after the shooting.

Angry friends and family swarmed the scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

A burned out car was found at the scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

A witness said he heard about 10 bullets fired in the street outside his car workshop, initially dismissing them as the sound of a car backfiring.

“I was in the back of the workshop just before 7am and I heard a series of bangs which I was hoping was a car backfiring and as I heard a car speed off there was another series of bangs,” the witness told 2GB.

“Within minutes there was a load of ambulances and police everywhere and we saw a man on the ground not in a good way.

“It was frightening. I’m glad I don’t open the door in the morning.”

A local described hearing 10 gunshots. Picture: 7 News

Just 40 minutes after the alleged shooting, a burnt-out car was found outside the train station in the neighbouring suburb of Birrong.

Fire and Rescue NSW were called to Magdella Street to extinguish the blaze.

The car will be forensically examined, and inquiries are continuing into whether the incident was linked to the shooting, a police spokesman said.

No one was injured.

An exclusion zone has been established where the gym is located and there is a large police presence.

An exclusion zone has been set up, with a large police presence. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

Elite Fight Force gym, which was frequently attended by Mr Sabbagh, sent a post out to their 11K followers at about 7am to inform them their doors would be closed throughout the day.

“Asalamu alaykum (peace be with you in Arabic),” the post began.

“We are very sorry for an inconvenience, Elite Fight Force will be closed today and all classes will be cancelled for the day. Please bear with us and stay updated with our stories for any new announcements. Thank you.”

Local detectives, with the assistance of the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, have commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The gym, which is a popular MMA training centre, is located in an industrial area with car repair shops and factories lining the street. It is unclear whether the facility was open at the time of the shooting.

— with NCA NewsWire