Sydney Police Hunt Gunman After Fatal Shooting

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Police in Sydney are continuing the search for a gunman following a fatal shooting in the city’s west on Wednesday night that claimed the life of 22-year-old Osama Momani.

Emergency services were called to Regiment Grove in Winston Hills at around 7 p.m. after reports of gunfire. Officers arrived to find Momani with a gunshot wound to the chest while inside a car.

According to Superintendent Barry Vincent from Parramatta Police Area Command, preliminary investigations suggest the attack was targeted. “I understand that the victim was sitting in the passenger seat,” Vincent told reporters. “At this point, we believe there was one shot fired, but we are awaiting the results of forensic examination. At this early stage, it would indicate this was a targeted shooting.”

Police confirmed that Momani attempted to seek help from nearby homes after being struck, but he collapsed before emergency crews reached him. Paramedics treated him at the scene and transported him to Westmead Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Authorities also confirmed there was a second man inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting. That individual was not injured and is cooperating with investigators. “We believe there was a second person in the vehicle who was uninjured, and we are continuing to speak with that person,” Vincent said.

Momani was known to the police and had been on bail over an alleged home invasion in Chester Hill in 2023. Detectives are examining whether his past activities may be connected to the shooting.

In a development later that evening, emergency services were called to Bounty Place in Old Toongabbie at approximately 11:15 p.m. after reports of a vehicle fire. Police located a Toyota SUV engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported. Authorities established crime scenes at both Winston Hills and Old Toongabbie, and investigators believe the incidents are linked.

Detectives are working to determine whether the burnt-out vehicle was used as a getaway car by the shooter. “We can’t say with any great clarity whether the vehicle was stolen or not,” Superintendent Vincent said.

This marks the second fatal public shooting in Sydney within days. Over the weekend, a separate incident at a Forest Lodge pub left 39-year-old Gilbert Admon Shino dead and 31-year-old Maradona Yalda requiring surgery. Police, however, stressed that there is no current evidence connecting the two events. “It’s too early to suggest they are linked, and I don’t know of any link at all,” Vincent noted.

Both shootings have unsettled communities already concerned about gun violence in public places. Police have increased patrols in affected suburbs as investigators continue to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and review CCTV footage.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the Winston Hills shooting or the burnt vehicle to come forward. Crime Stoppers has asked residents to report any details anonymously to assist in identifying the suspect.

As the investigation continues, residents in Sydney’s west remain on alert, with police treating the case as a priority due to its violent and public nature.