Sydney gangland assassination attempt investigation

NSW Police have charged 19-year-old David Kulitapa in connection with a failed gangland assassination attempt targeting a relative of the Alameddine crime family. The incident occurred in June near a school in Fairfield West, where a gunman allegedly attempted to shoot a 44-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter through their vehicle windscreen. The attack failed after the gunman’s pistol jammed twice.

While the shooter pursued the teenage girl after the initial attempt, the weapon failed to function again, allowing both victims to escape unharmed. Investigators believe the victims were targeted solely due to their familial ties to organized crime figures.

Authorities allege that Kulitapa was not the gunman or the driver, but was responsible for preparatory actions, including physical surveillance, staging vehicles, and using tracking devices to monitor the victims. Police noted a trend of using young people to carry out such contract crimes for money and notoriety. The case is being managed by Taskforce Falcon, a police initiative established to combat gangland violence in Sydney.