The teenager accused of shooting a former friend in west Sydney overnight has been identified as Youssef Elsamad.
The 19-year-old has been charged with fatally shooting his former friend in front of a public housing complex in Merrylands on Friday.
Mohamed Salihy who was shot dead at point-blank range, had been on the radar of counter-terrorism officers, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Elsamad, who was found in a neighbour’s backyard, has reportedly told police he was he’s innocent and was hiding from an unidentified shooter, according to court documents.
Youssef Elsamad (pictured) has been charged with fatally shooting his former friend
Police were called to an apartment in Merrylands, Sydney’s west on Friday night where it is alleged Elsamad (pictured) shot Mohamed Salihy
In 2014, Mr Salihy came to the attention of police after a raid of the country’s biggest terrorism cells, but was never charged.
Elsamad, an unemployed tiler who was on bail at the time of the alleged shooting, did not appear when his matter came before Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
His lawyer told the court he would not apply for bail.
In papers tendered to the court, police allege the victim had driven with a friend to the 19-year-old’s residence to resolve a dispute.
Elsamad (pictured) told police an ‘unknown person’ shot the victim and he had been running away
When Mr Salihy and his friend arrived at Eddy Street about 10pm they were met by Elsamad who was waiting outside the garage of a villa, while a number of friends remained gathered inside.
The 19-year-old allegedly approached the victim and his friend, saying ‘I’m sick of this shit’, before entering his home and re-emerging two minutes with a sawn-off shot gun.
He then shot Mr Salihy point blank in the chest, leaving him face down on the floor bleeding profusely, police allege.
Youssef Elsamad, 19, has been charged with fatally shooting his acquaintance Mohamed Salihy, 22, at a Merrylands complex Friday night but says he didn’t do it
Elsamad told police he was innocent and was hiding from an unidentified shooter, according to court documents
A crime scene was established at the address with officers erecting police tape outside home
The 22-year-old died at the scene while the accused fled, sparking a police search using a helicopter, which spotted him hiding in his neighbour’s backyard, the document said.
Elsamad told police an ‘unknown person’ shot the victim and he had been running away and hiding because he was being chased by the shooter, the court documents state.
He told police a cut on his finger was the result of being shot, the documents said.
The matter has been adjourned to January 31 in Parramatta District Court.
In 2011 an innocent family narrowly avoided being sprayed with bullets after gunmen shot at a home that cousins of Kings Cross nightclub identity John Ibrahim previously lived in
Eddy Street (pictured) has been the scene of multiple other shootings in the past
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