Source : Perth Now news
A 14-year-old is one of two teenage boys charged with murder over the alleged mistaken identity shooting of a 23-year-old university student.
Marco Tapia was fatally shot inside his family’s Glen Alpine home, in Sydney’s west, in the early hours of September 1.
Officers found Mr Tapia with a gunshot wound inside the home after responding to reports of a home invasion about 3.40am. He died at the scene.
Police have since said the wrong house was targeted.
On Wednesday morning, detectives executed two search warrants at homes in Fairfield, in Sydney’s west.
Two boys, aged 14 and 16, were arrested and taken to Cabramatta Police Station.
Police will allege the teens provided weapons for the gunman and staged cars.
Both were charged with murder, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm and two counts of taking a car without consent.
The younger of the two teens was also charged with damaging property by fire or explosion.
Both were refused bail to appear at a children’s court on Thursday.
Mr Tapia’s parents, Sergio and Claudia Tapia, recalled their experience in an interview with Nine’s A Current Affair program on Monday.
Both were at home at the time of the shooting, along with their daughter.
“I remember him taking the last breath,” Ms Tapia told the program.
“Hate came to our house.”
Mr Tapia’s death was the city’s first of two suspected mistaken identity shootings in as many days.
Joshua Macdonald, 40, was shot dead at a Merrylands West home, in the city’s west, about 3.15pm on September 2.
He had arrived to the home as a visitor minutes earlier, along with a second male and two children, who were inside at the time of the shooting.
