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Two men have been charged with murder and a third man is being sought over the drive-by shooting of a Sydney grandmother who police say was innocently caught in the crossfire of a “beef” with another person who lived at the same location.
Kim Duncan, 65, was killed when a hail of gunfire tore through her home on Dickens Road in Ambarvale, in Sydney’s south-west, just after 11pm on April 14 this year.
Grandmother Kim Duncan was killed in a drive-by shooting that police have described as “cowardly”.
Police arrested 32-year-old Jesse Evans and 19-year-old Manase Fakahau early on Wednesday morning at homes in Liverpool and Belmore respectively. The pair were taken to Bankstown police station, where they were charged with Duncan’s murder.
Detective Superintendent Grant Healey said police were looking for a third man who could assist with inquiries.
“If anybody knows that man, could they come forward to police. And to that outstanding person, we encourage you to come and speak to police as well,” he said.
Healey said that police believed Duncan was not the target of the shooting. The 65-year-old had no criminal involvement that would explain her death.
“It was a person that resided at the house that she was shot at, and we believe that the people involved had a grudge, an argument or a beef with somebody that lived at that location,” he said.
“It’s terrifying, but it’s the cowardly response … while they’re trying to give somebody a lesson, they’ve killed some little kid’s grandmother.”
Duncan had been in her loungeroom when a car pulled up outside and nine shots were fired through the front of her home. One round struck her in the leg and she died on the floor.
A man is taken into custody in relation to the investigation into the fatal drive-by shooting.Credit: NSW Police
Two other people in the home were uninjured during the incident.
The arrests of Evans and Fakahau came two months after police released CCTV footage of two vehicles, a white SUV and a blue sedan, seen leaving the area shortly after the shooting.
In the footage, two men are seen exiting the white SUV after it parks by the side of the road, while another exits the blue sedan. The three appear to have a brief discussion before returning to their vehicles and driving off.
Another suspect is arrested in relation to the shooting. Two men have been charged, while police are appealing for information about a third.Credit: NSW Police
Healey said the police investigation had worked focused on the cars, which had registration plates that made officers suspicious “right from the start”.
“At the time of the shooting, police made a promise to the family that we would do our best to find the people responsible for the death of their mother.
“We know they’re still angry … but my information is that I believe that we’ve got two of the three, and we’re closing in on the third.”
Evans and Fakahau appeared before Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday afternoon. Neither applied for bail, which was refused.
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