A young man has been charged with murdering a 12-year-old boy at a property in Sydney’s north west during a terrifying suspected gangland shooting.
At about 5pm on September 21, police were called to a unit on Fairway Drive in Norwest after they were told a shooting had taken place.
When officers arrived, they found a 12-year-old boy with gunshot wounds “to his face and neck”.
The young boy was treated at the scene by paramedics and rushed to hospital in critical condition, but he died from his injuries days later.
Shortly after the shooting took place, three 18-year-old men were arrested by police, and one of those men, Isaac James Bechara, remains before the courts after he was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence.
After a court appearance on October 1, Mr Bechara’s lawyer said the teenager wasn’t coping well in jail and was “distraught”.
At 12pm on Tuesday, NSW Police revealed detectives from Strike Force Janilo arrested Mr Bechara, who recently celebrated his 19th birthday in prison, at a correctional facility in Silverwater.
He was charged with murder, and will appear at Bail Division Local Court on Wednesday.
After the shooting, Superintendent Naomi Moore said several people who had been inside the unit were well known to police.
“A number of individuals that were inside the unit at the time are well known to NSW Police, and their association with organised crime is being considered by investigators,” she said.
Tributes to the child have begun circulating on social media after his death, including from the boy’s father.
“Rip peace my baby,” the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, wrote on social media.
The school where the boy attends issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the news.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, classmates, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” a statement issued on Thursday night reads.
“At this difficult time, our focus is on supporting the child’s family and providing wellbeing and counselling support to our students and staff.”