Comancheros enforcer Tarek Zahed is fighting for life in hospital after being shot in a hail of bullets while at the gym with his younger brother.
Zahed and his brother Omar were shot multiple times inside the Bodyfit gym in Sydney’s Auburn on Tuesday night, leaving both men with catastrophic injuries.
Omar, believed to be in his 20s, went into cardiac arrest after suffering several gunshot wounds to his stomach, arms and legs – later dying at the scene.
His bikie enforcer brother, 41, was hit by 10 bullets to his body, including to his head, before being rushed to Westmead Hospital where he was still in an ‘extremely’ critical condition as of 3am on Wednesday.
Underworld figures say the high profile bikie boss had been warned to ‘play it safe’ by changing his daily routine – with friends even begging him to stop going to the gym where he was shot – after learning a $1million bounty had been put out on him by rivals.
But he ignored the grave warnings that his life was in danger, and is now paying the price.
Tarek Zahed (pictured, right) and brother Omar (left) were gunned down outside a gym on Tuesday night – with Omar dying at the scene after being shot in the head
Police were called to the Bodyfit Gym on Parramatta Road around 8pm on Tuesday night (pictured) where paramedics battled to save the brothers’ lives
Police and paramedics are seen trying to save the two men at the gym on Tuesday night after the shooting – with pools of blood seen across the foyer
The pair were known to frequent the gym and even posted multiple pictures to social media showing them working out.
Confronting footage shows paramedics attempting to revive the bloodied pair in the gym’s foyer.
The deadly shooting is the latest incident in the ongoing feud between the Hamzy and Alameddine crime clans and comes two weeks after the shooting death of Mahmoud Ahmad, who was gunned down in Greenacre a fortnight ago.
It’s understood those close to him had recently warned Tarek to ‘play it safe’ as he had a $1million bounty on his head.
‘They warned him the other week: “Stop going to the gym, change your routine”, but he didn’t listen. They are fuming,’ a bikie source told the Daily Telegraph.
Police and underworld sources confirmed they were aware of the bounty.
‘Everyone’s talking about the whispers around Tarek, but no one knows who is behind it,’ an underworld source claimed.
Takek Zahed (seated) and his brother Omar (standing) were gunned down outside a gym in Sydney’s west on Tuesday night. One is dead while the other is fighting for life
A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames nearby, with police investigating its links to the shooting
The gym’s front door has been shattered with bullet holes after the men were shot at 10 times on Tuesday night
The publication reported earlier this week Tarek was regarded as a marked man by heavyweight of the Hamzy crime network long before the bounty was recently placed on his head.
It comes as unlikely union formed between the Alameddine family and the Commancheros, with Zahed under increasing pressure from arch-rivals the Hamzy crew.
Police intercepted a call between jailed Brothers 4 Life gang boss Bassam Hamzy and his brother Ghassan Amoun on October 14, 2020.
Hamzy called his brother from Goulburn Supermax jail asking for Tarek’s phone number, according to NSW Supreme Court documents.
‘Hamzy asked Amoun to contact Emad Sleiman and ‘tell him straight out is he speaking with Tarek Zahed, if he is, get Tarek Zahed’s number off him,’ the court
‘Amoun said Zahed was in jail, but Hamzy said Zahed was definitely not in jail.
‘It was highly likely Zahed was at risk from Hamzy and Hamzy’s associates in the community.’
Fifteen months later, Amoun was gunned down as he left a beauty salon at Wentworthville in Sydney’s west.
Several days after Ahmad’s death, Zahred, known as the ‘Balenciaga Bikie’, was arrested and charged with two counts of contravening serious crime prevention order as NSW Police continued its crackdown on organised crime.
Tarek Zahed (pictured) and his brother Omar were shot at 10 times outside Bodyfit Gym on Parramatta Road just after 8pm on Tuesday night
The brothers (pictured) are believed to be close with recent photos on social media and TikTok showing the pair going to the gym and holidaying together
The pair were known to frequent the gym, with those close to Zahed warning him to alter his normal routine after a $1million bounty was placed on the head of the high-profile Commancheros member (pictured, police at the scene on Tuesday night)
The 41-year-old had been widely tipped to be the next national president of the outlaw motorcycle club after former leader Mick Murray was also arrested last week.
It’s understood he had been aware his life had been in danger for almost a year and was granted a travel exemption to flee NSW lockdown to travel to Turkey last September.
He continued his lavish lifestyle upon return to Australia, despite warnings from police his life was under threat.
Tarek moved to Melbourne, where he was infamously caught interrupting play at the Australian Open men’s final in January.
Police have launched an investigation into Tuesday night’s shooting with the assistance of police attached to the State Crime Command’s Raptor and Criminal Groups Squads.
Paramedics found Tarek and Omar with bullet wounds ‘all over their bodies’.
Inspector Kevin McSweeney said it was an horrific and confronting scene that unfolded in front of several witnesses and it was lucky no other members of the public were injured.
‘They were both found to be in extremely critical conditions. At the scene we stabilised the patients as best we could.’
The brothers were shot while going to the gym in Auburn on Tuesday night (pictured, police outside after the attack)
Paramedics are seen treating the brothers at the scene – with one confirmed dead and the other in a critical condition
A woman sits with her head in her hand inside the gym on Parramatta Road in Auburn after a Commanchero leader and his brother were sprayed with bullets
Another man sits on a workout ball inside the gym as police cordon off the area around the fitness centre on Tuesday night
A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames in nearby Berala, with police investigating its links to the shooting.
Zahed, his brothers Abdul and Omar and their associate Raouf Mousawel were also busted by police breaking lockdown laws in August last year after they were spotted walking in Drummoyne in the city’s inner-west about 2am.
The men allegedly became angry when police questioned why they were outside, and claimed they lived together and were ‘just exercising’.
Abdul and Omar are believed to live in Yagoona in Sydney’s south-west – more than 20km away from where they were allegedly spotted by police.
Public health orders at the time banned anyone in Greater Sydney from travelling more than 5km from their home for exercise.
A prominent Commancheros bikie and his brother have been sprayed by bullets outside a Sydney gym – with one dead and the other fighting for his life (pictured, paramedics at the scene)
Zahed had been living within 5km of the Bay Run but was alleged to have broken lockdown rules by exercising with more than one other person.
The Comanchero enforcer, who was regularly seen wearing high-end designer clothing, once told journalists outside of court he wanted the record to state about one of his offences.
He then said he was wearing a Versace shirt and not Gucci as some stories wrongly depicted.
In another high-profile incident at the at the swanky a’Mare restaurant, in Sydney’s Barangaroo casino, CCTV footage captured Zahed punching another man in the bathroom.
The 41-year-old Zahed had been widely tipped to be the next national president of the outlaw motorcycle club after former leader Mick Murray was also arrested last week (pictured being extradited from Melbourne to Sydney in March, 2021)
A man vapes while standing alongside police outside the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney’s south-west
During the assault on this occasion, he was wearing a Balenciaga shirt, earning his nickname ‘Balenciaga Bikie’.
Recently family members had encouraged Zahed to stop living his flashy and public lifestyle after the bounty was placed on the head of the man set to take over the violent group.
The 41-year-old was the frontrunner due to his close relationship with exiled drug lord Mark Buddle and links to criminals in both NSW and Victoria.
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