Two boys, aged 14 and 16, were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the stabbing of 23-year-old student Mark Tapie, whose body was found in a family home in the suburb of Glen Alpin. The incident occurred just before 4 a.m., when police were called to the scene following reports of a break-in. Upon arrival, officers found Tapine's body with a gunshot wound, and he died at the scene.
Investigators determined that the attackers had targeted the wrong house, indicating a misidentification of the victim at the time of the attack. The boys are charged with murder, although according to the charges, they did not directly fire the weapon. Both boys face additional charges of participating in a criminal group, contributing to the commission of the offence, as well as possessing an unlicensed weapon. The accused are also charged with driving a vehicle without the owner's permission, and the 14-year-old is charged with damaging property by fire or explosion.
Police stated that the boys had arranged the vehicle, then handed the weapon to the shooter. On Wednesday, the boys were denied bail on condition of appearance, and must appear in the children's court on Thursday. Tapine's parents, who expressed grief over the incident, stated: 'They wanted to inflict harm on us.' Both parents, mother and father, were at home during the incident, and Tapine's mother, Claudia, stated: 'I remember the last breath he took.'
New South Wales, the police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, stated that he would target those behind the series of shootings in Sydney. 'One innocent victim is unacceptable to me,' Lanyon said, highlighting that police would continue to work to stop the violence. 'Whatever we can do, we will do,' he added, highlighting the police's commitment to fighting crime.
