Hairdressers who witnessed a brazen public shooting inside their shop have shared their horror at the shocking attack by gangs, as they reveal they now live in fear and no longer feel safe in their home country.
William Siale, 33, and his brother Eric, 20, were visiting Adel’s Hair Salon in Marrickville, Sydney’s inner west, just before 2pm on Friday July 7 when a gunman ran in and opened fire.
Eric was left in critical condition after being shot in the chest, while William suffered a gunshot wound to the buttocks. The couple were rushed to the hospital, where Eric was stabilized and his injuries downgraded to serious.
A short time later, two burned-out cars were found in the vicinity of Dulwich Hill and Sydenham, and police are still working to catch the gunman.
For the first time since the shooting, the salon reopened for a few hours Tuesday. According to the staff, he was practically empty.
Hairdressers who work at a hair salon that was the center of attention in a brazen gangland assassination attempt last week say the incident has left them living in fear.
William, 33, (pictured in black shirt) and his brother Eric, 20, were inside Adel’s hair salon when a masked gunman burst in and shot them.
Two men who work at the store, but who wish to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia that the assassination attempt has left them nervous and fearful for their safety.
Both were working Friday when a man dressed in black and wearing a ski mask burst into the store and began shooting at the Siale brothers, one of whom was getting a haircut at the time.
“He was sitting there and I was cutting his hair and the guy came in and shot him,” a hairdresser told Daily Mail Australia.
“I ran and hid behind the counter and then called the police.
Not know what to do. It all happened so fast. It was like something out of a movie.’
The man said he never expected something like this to happen to him in Australia.
‘My parents moved to this country in search of a better life. To be sure,’ he said.
‘Then look what happened.’
The men said business was slow when they reopened Tuesday for the first time since the attack.
The groomers said they are living on the edge and their sense of security has been shattered by the traumatic incident.
Visibly shaken with tears in their eyes, the other hairdresser said they were still in shock and trying to process what happened.
“We’re just trying to make a living and get by, but we’re living on the edge at the moment,” a hairdresser told Daily Mail Australia.
‘You don’t know if someone is going to come here and do it again. You don’t feel safe.
“If someone can come in here and shoot, you wonder if it could happen to you anywhere.”
The hairdressers said they did not know the Siale brothers personally, but that they were regular customers who had been visiting the shop every few weeks for several years.
They said they were shocked to hear reports that the victims were associates of known members of the Sydney underworld.
The details of the chaos that unfolded in the store remain cloudy in their minds, they said, as the attack happened in an instant.
Eric Siale was taken to hospital with critical chest injuries but quickly stabilized.
Police sources said the victims have ties to the Bandidos motorcycle gang and were known to them.
They could not remember the number of bullets fired or which brother was shot first. However, what remains vivid is the horror and fear they experienced when they tried to get out of the shooter’s path.
In addition to the mental impact, the hairdressers also fear that the incident could affect the business.
Although the store reopened just three days ago, they have noticed a noticeable drop in visitors and hope that the once-thriving store will return to normal soon.
“It’s been super quiet here now,” said one.
‘But what can you do?’
The store was completely empty of customers when Daily Mail Australia visited around midday on Wednesday.
A sympathetic local popped her head in through the shop doors to convey good wishes to the men following the incident while inquiring about the welfare of another worker who was not there.
“What happened is horrible,” he said.
However, the shop appeared to be booming again on Thursday, with groomers holding back-to-back appointments.
According to police sources, the brothers are linked to the Bandidos motorcycle gang. It is unknown how deeply connected they are to the outlaw motorcycle club.
Despite their associations, Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that the Siale brothers are involved in organized crime.
Forensic officers swept Adel’s living room for clues Friday night.
A silver Kia Stinger was set on fire in nearby Sydenham after the shooting on Friday afternoon. Police also reportedly found a burnt-out Mitsubishi Triton
Shocking footage from the scene shows Eric lying on the ground shirtless as a police officer gives him first aid.
Another officer was also seen trying to calm William down in the lounge as a blood-soaked towel lay on the floor.
Both men survived the attack and were taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
NSW Police Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald said police believe a silver Kia Stinger found on fire on Park Road in nearby Sydenham was used as a “getaway car”.
A Mitsubishi Triton was also reported to have caught fire minutes later on Hercules Street in Dulwich Hill.
Police are also trying to track down a white Toyota Camry, with number plates DMM59H, which police believe one of the shooters may have gotten into after the incident.
Both victims are known to police, but are not local to the area.
“It’s very brazen and that’s why we believe it was a targeted attack, it’s not random and it’s lucky no other members of the public were involved in that incident,” Superintendent Fitzgerald said.
The crime scene was established and examined by specialized forensic officers and investigations are ongoing.
