Two charged over shooting at wrong funeral venue for Sydney crime boss

Two charged over shooting at wrong funeral venue for Sydney crime boss Lorenzo Lemalu Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 1:46pm Two people have been charged over a shooting at a venue in Sydney's south-west that was advertised to be hosting a funeral for a crime boss who was killed in Vietnam. Police on Saturday afternoon responded to reports shots had been fired at a Punchbowl venue, with video shared on social media appearing to show gunmen shooting from inside a car at the property. No injuries were reported. The venue had been advertised as the location of Lorenzo Lemalu's funeral, but plans changed and the memorial was held at Lakemba Mosque on Sunday. Lemalu was shot dead in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on May 21 in an attack that two Samoan men have since confessed on Vietnamese TV to committing. Police were also called to nearby Gillian Place in Punchbowl after reports of a fire on Saturday, and found an abandoned car alight. Following police inquiries, a 17-year-old boy was arrested during a vehicle stop in Picnic Point on Monday afternoon. He was charged with firing a firearm at a dwelling etc in organised crime activity, damaging a property by fire/explosive and participating in a group contributing to criminal activity. He was refused bail and was due to appear at a children's court on Tuesday. A 23-year-old man was also arrested during searches on Monday at Airds and Busby, in which police allegedly seized ammunition. The man was charged with firing a firearm at not dwelling, disregarding safety and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity. He was refused bail and was due to appear in court on Tuesday. Police believe Lemalu was the head of the so-called "Coconut Cartel", a gang involved in tit-for-tat shootings with the Alameddine crime family and whose name comes from a historic slur against Pasifika people. Lemalu's remains were returned to his family last week and a small crowd of mourners attended Lakemba Mosque on Sunday under a heavy police presence. Inquiries into the Punchbowl incident are ongoing.