Boxing Coach Louis Meehan Killed in Targeted Shooting in Punchbowl
A 32-year-old boxing coach was shot dead in a targeted attack in Sydney's south-west on Wednesday evening. Louis Meehan was shot multiple times in the car park of a community centre in Punchbowl about 5:50pm.
A 32-year-old boxing coach was shot dead in a targeted attack in Sydney's south-west on Wednesday evening. Louis Meehan was shot multiple times in the car park of a community centre in Punchbowl about 5:50pm.
Paramedics treated Mr Meehan, but he died at the scene. Police said a stolen silver Lexus sedan was spotted fleeing the area and was later located in Bass Hill.
State Crime Commander and Acting Assistant Commissioner Grant Taylor said police believed a lone gunman was behind the attack. He said early inquiries suggested the incident was not linked to a spate of recent shootings.
"There are some early indications that this incident has no correlation or linkage with what's been transpiring over the last several months," he said.
Assistant Commissioner Taylor said the history of Mr Meehan "correlates with activities in and around outlaw motorcycle gangs [OMCGs]".
"This may be related to OMCG activity or some sort of other activity, but we don't believe in the early stages of this investigation that it's linked to the other matters,"he said.
The shooting was targeted, police said. Mr Meehan was primarily known to Queensland Police Service detectives. He was recently charged by Queensland Police Service with a suite of serious offences, including deprivation of liberty, extortion, armed robbery and possessing dangerous drugs.
He was scheduled to next appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court next month. Police suspect the warring gangs are behind two mistaken identity murders of Marco Tapia and Joshua Macdonald last week, but not the one that claimed the life of Mr Meehan.
"This is a callous act," said Acting Superintendent Dean Johnstone on Wednesday night.
A witness, Danielle Kind, who was at the scene with her son, described the shooting as a terrifying experience.
"I saw this man walking that way, and then someone ran up from the side and behind him … then bang, bang," she said.
"I just saw the gun and hid behind the car instinctively … then I went across the road, held his hand and just prayed,"she said.
It was reported about a dozen children were inside the community centre when the shooting unfolded on Wednesday night. Superintendent Johnstone said the act could have easily endangered other members of the community.
"In a public place like this … it's very fortunate, and we're very grateful that no other person has been injured,"he said.
The shooting comes days after the state government announced a swathe of legislative reforms as part of a crackdown on organised crime. NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane acknowledged the shooting in a post on social media, noting it was the third incident of its kind in the city over the past week.
On Thursday morning, there was a string of comments left on Mr Meehan's social media account from the boxing community paying tribute. "Until we we meet again my USO," one from rugby player-turned boxer Sonny Bill Williams was captioned.