Two teenagers aged 14 and 16 have been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of a university student in Sydney, according to New South Wales Police. The incident is part of a mounting wave of violence that has left law enforcement investigating multiple suspected mistaken-identity killings across the city within a span of 48 hours.
Sydney Student Killed in Glen Alpine Home Invasion
According to New South Wales Police, the first fatal shooting occurred at approximately 03:40 local time on Tuesday during a home invasion in Glen Alpine in Sydney’s southwest. The victim, identified as Marco Tapia, was a university student in his 20s with no criminal ties, whose only previous contact with police involved a traffic offense, according to New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.
Investigators stated that Tapia appeared to be an innocent life taken by organized crime. Shortly after the shooting, an individual identified by police as a known organized crime figure posted a message on social media stating they had “popped the wrong person, didn’t even get the right house.”
“The fact that what appears to be an innocent life was taken is something that no community should accept and no community should live in fear of violence,” Mal Lanyon said. Two teenagers, aged 14 and 16, were subsequently arrested and charged with murder in connection with Tapia’s death.
Merrylands West Drive-By Shooting Under Investigation
The investigation into Tapia’s death coincided with a second fatal shooting less than 48 hours later. According to emergency services and police reports, a man in his 40s was targeted in a drive-by shooting at a home in Merrylands West at around 15:15 local time on Wednesday. He died at the scene.
Police are investigating whether the Wednesday attack also targeted the wrong person. Det Supt Simon Glasser stated that while the victim had no known links to organized crime, he had associated with residents at the address who were well known to police. Glasser noted that the man was “quite likely” a business associate of those residents rather than the intended target.
Broader Context of Mistaken Identity Violence in Sydney
Earlier this year, an 85-year-old Sydney grandfather named Chris Baghsarian was kidnapped from his home in a pre-dawn raid and later found dead near a golf course in what police also believe was a case of mistaken identity, resulting in multiple arrests. Additionally, last year saw the fatal shooting of a Sydney plumber outside his family home under similar circumstances, according to police statements.
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