Handgun recovered following fatal Sydney shooting of Comanchero bikie

Police have recovered a firearm believed to have been inside a burnt out car found following the shooting of Comanchero national sergeant-at-arms Tarek Zahed.

Police inspect a burnt firearm in Berala, western Sydney, where a car was torched after the shooting of senior bikie Tarek Zahed and his brother. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Police have recovered a badly burnt handgun believed to have been used in the attempted hit of a senior Comanchero bikie, as ­senior officers say they fear innocent people will be killed in Sydney’s escalating gang war.

Tarek Zahed and his brother Omar were hit by a barrage of ­bullets at a western Sydney gym just after 8pm on Tuesday.

The national sergeant-at-arms of the gang is fighting for his life in hospital after losing a significant amount of blood and being shot in the head. Omar did not survive the attack.

One gym-goer who witnessed the shooting said he believed more than 20 bullets were fired in the space of 20 to 30 seconds.

The hitmen fled and shortly after two Audi Q7s were set on fire in the southwest Sydney suburbs of Berala and Greenacre.

Tarek Zahed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

The Australian witnessed ­forensic police inspecting a burnt weapon and two bullets found at the Berala location.

Police remain tight lipped as to whether the vehicles were connected with the shooting.

Aziz Alruken, who was exercising at the gym at the time of the attack, said he hid behind a treadmill and was “full of fear”.

The body of Omar Zahed lies covered by a white blanket in the foyer with a bullet hole in the glass door next to him. Picture: Toby Zerna / Daily Telegraph

“I see them on the ground, on the floor, and they get shot on his head,” he said. “It was very crazy. Everyone tried to get out from the gym.

“I was just scared I would get shot from them.”

NSW Police inspect a firearm from a burnt-out car in Berala. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Specialist police spent the day at the gym, with riot squad officers seen entering the building with a battering ram and large crowbar at around midday.

Fire crews could be seen using high pressure hoses to clean blood from the foyer where the shooting occurred.

One resident of The Crescent in Berala said everything outside his lounge room window was ­orange as one of the burning cars lit up the neighbourhood.

“I looked through the curtain blind and I saw the big flames, it was up to the first floor,” he said.

Police and Fire Rescue NSW clean the scene of where Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed and brother Omar were shot. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Police say Tarek had ignored multiple warnings about threats to his life and suggestions he leave Sydney. “They were informed last Thursday that their lives were at risk, as they have been warned on countless other occasions,” State Crime Commander and Assistant NSW Police Commissioner ­Michael Fitzgerald said.

Police Minister Paul Toole announced 30 extra officers would be assigned to Strike Force Raptor and an additional strike force, named Leary, would be established to investigate the shooting.

“If you are part of Sydney‘s underworld, you are involved in criminal activity and we are going to hunt you down and we are going to stamp out this kind of ­activity,” Mr Toole said.

He issued a warning to those involved in organised crime.

“We will actually kick down doors, we will raid homes, we will raid businesses, we will harass you, we will disrupt your everyday life to stop this kind of activity.”

Commissioner Karen Webb said her “greatest fear” was that an innocent person would be killed in crossfire.