Gunman Opens Fire at Punchbowl Wake Venue for Lorenzo Lemalu
A gunman opened fire at the Diamond Venues Club in Punchbowl after Lorenzo Lemalu’s wake had been moved at the last minute. No one was inside the Sydney south-west function centre when the shots were fired, and the gunman’s allegedly stolen SUV was later found burnt out on Gillian Place moments after.
Diamond Venues Club in Punchbowl
The intended target was friends and family of Lorenzo Lemalu, the slain Coconut Cartel leader whose wake had been planned for the venue. Lemalu was killed in Vietnam two weeks ago, and his body had only just been flown back to Australia after he was allegedly murdered by assassins in Ho Chi Minh City.
It is understood the owner of the venue told Lemalu’s family at about 11pm yesterday that they were not welcome, fearing that an incident would happen. That decision meant the wake did not go ahead at Diamond Venues Club, but the venue was still the place where the gunman opened fire.
Scott Cook on police pressure
The shooting landed in the middle of a wider conflict involving Lemalu and his crew, who had been at war with the Alameddine crime family in recent months through numerous shootings and fire bombings. NSW Police assistant commissioner Scott Cook said, “For a long time, we’ve been playing catch up.” Cook also said, “For the first time we think we’re on par.”
Police claimed last week to have smashed the cartel and locked up members, but the violence around Lemalu’s wake showed how quickly the situation could shift. The venue change to Lakemba Mosque tomorrow puts the funeral plans in a different setting, and police are aware of the plans and plan to be there.
The immediate practical change for Lemalu’s family is that the service has moved away from Punchbowl after the shooting, with police now expected to attend the rescheduled funeral at Lakemba Mosque tomorrow. The burnt-out SUV on Gillian Place is the last visible trace of the gunman’s escape route, and the next known step is the police presence at the mosque.
