A Sydney lawyer and a man with alleged links to organised crime have both been shot in Parramatta, with one currently in critical condition.
NSW Police’s Criminal Groups Squad are currently investigating a public shooting in Sydney’s west last night (Sunday 25 May), whereby a Sydney solicitor was injured.
Sylvan Singh, a solicitor in Parramatta, and Dawood Zakaria, a man with links to the Alameddine crime group were shot while stopped in a Toyota HiLux at a red light in Granville.
According to NSW police, the incident occurred after the “occupants of a Mercedes fired several rounds” at the car, hitting Zakaria, who was sitting in the front seat, and Singh, who was driving. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
There were two men sitting in the backseat of the HiLux, who were arrested and charged with possessing an unlawful weapon - after a firearm was found in the vehicle - and taken to Granville Police Station.
A short time after the shooting there were reports of a car fire in Merrylands West, where police found the Mercedes “destroyed”.
According to the ABC, Zakaria is the brother of underworld figure Masood Zakaria, currently in Australia's highest security prison facing murder conspiracy charges over his alleged part in an attempted hit on a member of a rival crime family.
Singh was admitted as a lawyer in 2023 and is a solicitor at Parramatta-based law firm Redline Legal. He remains in a stable condition following his injuries, while Zakaria is “not expected to survive” his injuries, commander of State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad, detective superintendent Jason Box, told a press conference this morning (26 May).
When asked if Singh was known to police, Box said he was “known to police for his association, for who he represents” but that he had not yet been interviewed by police.
He added that the shooting was a “targeted and directed attack” and that “everyone in [the HiLux] was potentially an intended target.”
Detectives from Criminal Groups Squad have commenced an investigation into the shooting under Strike Force Arrino.
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Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.