A gangland thug known as the “Angel of Death” was shot dead in a hail of bullets in Sydney’s west this morning, as police admit there are “too many suspects and too many motives” for the gangland attack.
Tarek Ayoub, 29, was shot dead with up to seven bullets on Harold Street in Parramatta at around 3.30am on Monday.
New South Wales Ambulance paramedics were unable to save him.
A manhunt has been launched for at least two gunmen who allegedly fled the scene in a stolen Audi sedan before setting it alight on a street about 4km from the crime scene at around 3.45am.
Witnesses saw them run from the burning car before fleeing in a white pickup truck.
Homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said Ayoub was visiting an associate when he was shot “a large number of times” in the car park.
He said Ayoub was a known gangster with an extensive criminal record and his death was “not a surprise” to detectives because “he lived and died by the sword.”
“It was a targeted shooting. He had a long history of violence,” Detective Doherty told reporters.
Tarek Ayoub (pictured), 29, was gunned down on Parramatta’s Harold Street at around 3.30am on Monday. Detectives said his death “did not come as a surprise” as he was an underworld figure known as the “Angel of Death”.
Homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said Ayoub was visiting an associate when he was shot “a large number of times” in the car park.
Pictured: Friends and family comfort each other following the shooting.
‘This was a message sent to Tarek Ayoub. It was very clear and forceful: they wanted to kill him.
“He is linked to several organised crime groups. In the underworld he was known as the Angel of Death.”
Police are searching for Ayoub’s killers and more than one person has been seen leaving the scene.
Asked if detectives had any theories about the murder, Superintendent Danny Doherty said there were “too many suspects, too many motives” as he was “someone who was very well known to the police”.
Witnesses reported hearing at least eight shots and that the victim was allegedly attacked in the garage of an apartment building (pictured: police at the scene)
Police are searching for Ayoub’s killers and more than one person has been seen leaving the scene.
In the picture: a police officer searches under a car.
Ayoub’s brother, Najm, was seen at the crime scene on Monday morning.
Police have charged Najm for his alleged involvement in another shooting in June.
Najm allegedly dropped off Thikran Hachem, 23, at Bankstown Hospital in the early hours of June 25 after Hachem suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach.
The couple are believed to have been travelling together when the car they were travelling in was hit by gunfire, The Daily Telegraph reported.
But Najm was arrested after he allegedly refused to tell police what had happened or where the shooting took place.
Ayoub’s brother Najm was seen at the crime scene on Monday morning (pictured)
Police have launched Strike Force Juno to investigate his brother’s death and have urged anyone with information to come forward.
They are particularly interested in anyone who was in the Harold Street area of the North Parramatta area between 3.30am and 3.45am
“We want to know who was responsible for this,” Detective Doherty said.
‘The family has been informed and is trying to process the information.
“That person is associated with that block of units. It was an innocent meeting, so he was informed. He was shot as he was returning to his vehicle.”
One local resident said he heard “several pops,” while another said it was “shocking” that a shooting occurred so close to his home.
Asked if detectives had any theories about the murder, Superintendent Danny Doherty said there were “too many suspects, too many motives” as he was “someone who was very well known to the police”.
In the image: Forensic officers arrive at the scene.
A resident of the complex told the Daily Mail Australia that he heard seven loud explosions when Ayoub was shot below his window.
“It woke up my two-year-old son. It was pretty scary,” she said.
“About ten minutes later, the entire police force arrived.”
The 29-year-old was previously charged for his role in the aftermath of the 2017 shooting death of teenager Braydon Dillan.
Ayoub pleaded guilty to concealing details of the offence. He had reportedly been part of Sydney’s criminal networks for many years.
More to come.
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