A man has been shot dead at a home in Merrylands West, western Sydney, with police investigating whether he may have been mistaken for someone else.
Emergency services were called to the property on Bruce Street at about 3.15pm on Wednesday, 2 September, after reports of a shooting. Two young children were inside the home at the time.
Officers from Cumberland Police Area Command found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene.
The man is believed to have been in his 40s and has not yet been formally identified. Police have established a crime scene around the property and detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are assisting with the investigation.
Superintendent Simon Glasser said the victim was not believed to have been involved in organised crime, while people associated with the address were known to police.
“Tragically, that is a possibility that the wrong person has been shot by these offenders,” Mr Glasser said.
Police believe the victim may have been a business associate visiting the house. A grey Audi sedan captured on CCTV was seen leaving the area and heading west along Bruce Street.
The shooting happened in broad daylight and was described by one local resident as “pretty brazen”. Another resident said the street was usually safe and expressed concern about what might have happened if children had been outside.
The incident is the second fatal suspected underworld shooting in Sydney in two days. On Tuesday, university student Marco Tapia, 23, was killed during a home invasion at Glen Alpine in the city’s south-west.
Police have not confirmed whether the two shootings are connected, but investigators are considering the possibility that Mr Tapia was also killed in a case of mistaken identity.
Anyone with information about the Merrylands West shooting is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information can be provided confidentially.
