By Ben Cubby, Amber Schultz, Riley Walter and Penry Buckley
The moment Nadal Acherkouk was gunned down on a petrol station forecourt in Surry Hills has been captured on CCTV footage showing two men dressed from head to toe in makeshift black outfits, firing pistols and chasing their critically wounded victim around petrol bowsers.
Cleveland Street was buzzing with Friday night diners when the two masked men were seen running towards a blue car containing Acherkouk, which was parked at the BP service station, just before 7.45pm.
One of the men, wearing a black poncho and gloves, raises his pistol and fires three rapid shots at point-blank range into the car through the driver’s side window, footage shows. The other gunman is partially obscured but also had a pistol raised and aimed at the car.
Acherkouk, though apparently struck by at least one bullet in the torso, is seen scrambling from the driver’s seat to the front passenger seat of the vehicle and then sprinting away from the car.
Nadal Acherkouk was gunned down.Credit: Nine
The footage shows Acherkouk running south to an area of the petrol station forecourt, where a two-metre-high fence blocks escape from the rear of the petrol station.
He then appears to double back across the station forecourt towards Cleveland Street as the two gunmen weave around the petrol bowsers, pistols raised.
One of the men is seen shortly afterward sprinting back towards another vehicle parked on the eastern side of the petrol station forecourt.
Members of the public were caught up in the brazen shooting, with one man in the petrol station telling Nine News: “I was very fearful, and I ducked immediately and ran and hid behind the ice-cream freezer.”
Acherkouk is seen in separate footage a short time later in the middle of Cleveland Street, at the intersection with Crown and Baptist streets, collapsing as members of the public come to his aid.
A man in a wheelchair reaches out to Acherkouk as he sinks to his knees, and another man rips off his own shirt, apparently to help stem the bleeding.
A CCTV still from the scene of the fatal shooting in Surry Hills on Friday night.Credit: CCTV
The victim had dined with four or five friends at the Erciyes Turkish restaurant next to the BP station before the shooting, restaurant staff confirmed. Police have taken the restaurant’s CCTV footage.
Police have labelled the fatal shooting a “reckless” and “targeted” attack linked to the underworld.
Superintendent Andrew Garner said police were dedicating significant resources to the search for those involved.
“This was an outrageous incident that demonstrated a high level of reckless indifference to the public around that area,” Garner said outside Mascot police station on Saturday.
“Police are working very hard to identify and arrest those involved … we’re coming for you.”
A suspected getaway car was later found set on fire next to a block of flats in Kensington Road, Kensington.
Kensington Road resident Craig Finn said he went to his apartment’s balcony after hearing voices coming from the garage about 8pm.
“It all just went up in flames and then a car drove off,” he said, adding that he called emergency services and residents were quickly evacuated.
The scene of the shooting in Surry Hills on Friday night.Credit: Penry Buckley
“It sounded like it was going to blow, but luckily it didn’t … the wind was going in the other direction and the fire didn’t get into the building.”
Police urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.