source : the age
A Sydney teenager has been charged with the murder of a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the face inside an apartment in the city’s north-west.
Isaac Bechara, now 19, was 18 when he allegedly shot the boy in the chin at close range after firing an illegal handgun inside the Norwest home on September 21. The boy died three days after he was rushed to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead suffering a gunshot wound to his face and neck.
Bechara was on Tuesday charged with murder at Silverwater prison, where he has been in custody since shortly after the shooting when he was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence.
Police believe 10 people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting, including the boy’s mother, older brother, and several other 18-year-old men, some of whom fled after the boy was shot. Police are yet to recover the gun used in the shooting, which they believe was removed from the Moda apartment complex before emergency services arrived.
Bechara was charged after detectives reviewed accounts from witnesses, including the boy’s mother and brother, who have co-operated with investigators. Two other 18-year-old men inside the apartment were arrested alongside Bechara shortly after the shooting, but were released without charge. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi, the commander of NSW Police’s homicide squad, said there was no evidence suggesting the shooting was either deliberate or accidental.
“We are relying on the fact that it was dangerous and reckless,” Doueihi said.
Doueihi said he believed several witnesses inside the apartment had not given truthful statements to police. No one in the apartment witnessed the shooting, according to the versions of the incident given to investigators.
Several people were in the apartment’s lounge room when the shooting occurred, but claimed not to have seen the incident, Doueihi said.
The boy’s father, who is a convicted cocaine dealer, paid tribute to his son on social media.
“RIP my baby,” he wrote alongside a photo of the pair. Other members of the boy’s extended family are linked to organised crime and known to police.
Bechara did not apply for bail when he faced court on Wednesday. He is expected to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday.
Last week, Taskforce Falcon detectives arrested 18-year-old Reece Fakr, who they allege is a key player in the Coconut Cartel, an organised crime group at the centre of a longstanding feud with Sydney’s Alameddine crime family.
Investigators identified Fakr after combing through a mobile phone he allegedly left at the Norwest apartment moments after the boy was shot.
He was arrested at Sydney International Airport as he attempted to leave the country, police said. Fakr, who is not related to the boy, has been charged with a string of offences, including conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, arson and directing a criminal group, stemming from communications detectives allegedly found on his phone. He has not been charged over the shooting.
He remains in custody and is expected to face court in December.
Doueihi said investigations into the shooting were ongoing.
“The family are dealing with the loss of their 12-year-old son,” Doueihi said.
“I couldn’t imagine what they’re dealing with. Yesterday’s arrest might bring them some comfort, but they’ve got a lifetime of suffering ahead of them.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
