Police have charged 19-year-old David Kulitapa with orchestrating the botched plot, following an investigation by strike force detectives assisted by the Raptor Squad. He was arrested during a vehicle stop in Sans Souci on Wednesday afternoon, and a search warrant was executed in Cronulla at the same time. Police seized a knife, illicit drugs and devices.
Kulitapa was charged with two counts of attempt to discharge loaded arms at a person with intent to murder, installing a tracking device to find an object without consent, and knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group. His matter was heard in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
The charges relate to an incident about 3pm on June 9, when a gunman dressed in black and wearing a balaclava pointed a handgun at a 44-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter as they sat in a ute outside a school. The pair escaped on foot and were not physically injured but were distressed, police said. Initial reports said the gunman's weapon jammed, although Detective Superintendent Jason Box said in June he could not confirm whether the gun had jammed.
Police believe the father was targeted because of his connection to the Alameddine crime family. He is related to Mohamed Alameddine, a Parramatta Eels NSW Cup player who was sidelined after the attack over safety concerns. Neither Mohamed Alameddine nor his relatives are involved in organised crime or accused of any wrongdoing, and detectives believe they were targeted because of the family's conflict with the rival Coconut Cartel. Box said in June the man was aware of the threat and was taking precautions. The NSW Department of Education heightened security at the nearby school after the incident.