Why a 'wrong house' post is now central to the Sydney killing of medical student Marco Tapia
Marco Tapia, 23, was shot in bed during a Sydney home invasion as police examine claims the attackers targeted the wrong house.
A 23-year-old medical student and church youth leader has been identified as the man killed when armed intruders entered his family home in Sydney's south-west and opened fire. Police are investigating whether Marco Tapia was not the intended target, after a social media post linked to an alleged gang figure appeared to suggest the attackers went to the wrong address.
Tapia was in bed at his parents' house on Mount Sugarloaf Drive in Glen Alpine when three masked men broke in at 3.40am on Tuesday and shot him in the neck and arm. His mother, father and sister were also inside the home.
The three men fled before emergency services arrived and had not been caught. Family members said Tapia was innocent and had no gang links. He was only known to police for minor traffic offences.
The 23-year-old had completed a Bachelor of Medical and Health Sciences in 2024 and began studying for a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering in January. He was also partway through an internship in personalised surgery, volunteered in engineering outreach programs and worked as a youth leader at his local Hillsong church.
His university team had recently won an award for developing a scaffold aimed at treating severe skeletal muscle defects. Tapia shared the result on LinkedIn and thanked his teammates.
Why detectives are looking at mistaken identity
Police are considering whether the killing was a case of mistaken identity. Acting Superintendent Gretchen Atkins said investigators were aware of a social media post linked to alleged Coconut Cartel leader Iziah Utai and that all possibilities were being examined.
The post appeared soon after the shooting and suggested the wrong person had been shot and the wrong house had been targeted. It also featured a track by a rapper reported to be associated with the Alameddine crime network.
Detectives are also looking at whether the attack is tied to ongoing conflict involving the Alameddine crime family and rival groups including the Coconut Cartel. Utai is wanted by police over the alleged murder of underworld figure Dawood Zakaria last May and has repeatedly taunted the Alameddines on social media.
The Glen Alpine shooting was the second deadly home invasion in Sydney within three days, after 28-year-old Emad Alameddine was shot dead at his Guildford home on Saturday night.
Neighbours described the street as usually quiet. One woman said she had seen two hooded men sitting in a white car outside her driveway for hours and facing the Tapia family home, which she found unusual. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
