Innocent mother shot in execution of underworld killer says her children's smiles help her 'forget' the trauma
The innocent mother who was shot during the execution of underworld figure Walid ‘Wally’ Ahmad says her smiling children are helping her forget the traumatic events that unfolded in Sydney’s south-west on Friday.
Hoda Darwiche was on her way to the gym and had stopped to buy a coffee at a café at Bankstown Central when a masked gunman opened fire and riddled Ahmad with up to seven bullets.
The 31-year-old mother suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in the gunfire.
Ahmad, 40, was killed in a spray of bullets and one of his associates, Nael Hamid, 50, was also wounded.
The mother-of-two was placed under heavy police protection as investigators tried to determine her role in the shooting.
Cleared of involvement, the mother is recovering in Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.
Ms Darwiche uploaded a smiling photograph of her children to Instagram last Friday with the caption:
“When I look at them smiling and happy like this I’ll forget everything happening,” ‘’News Limited’’ reports.
Former neighbours of Ms Darwiche told the publication they were “shocked” to find out the “lovely” mother became an innocent victim in Sydney’s underworld gun crime.
Ahmad was killed on the rooftop of the shopping centre “execution styled attack", in what has been described as a “well-planned ambush".
The crime figure was jailed in 2002 for the manslaughter of Mayez Dany, 39, following a dispute.
Ahmed was known for his stand-over tactics and was the subject of a murder probe into a fatal gunfight earlier in April, outside his smash repair business in Condell Park.
Safwan Charbajl died in that incident and another man was also seriously injured.
Search continues for Sydney gunman
NSW Police have turned their attention to an abandoned car in Victoria as they investigate whether it has any links to the shooting.
"We were exploring whether the vehicle was linked to the shooting. There has been no confirmation the vehicle is linked," a spokeswoman told AAP on Saturday.
It's believed the shooter was not a lone wolf and police say a burnt out vehicle was found in the Greenacre area later on Friday.
The ute was found with a tree lying across its bonnet.
Police were unable to find the driver, and the car was placed under police guard for a full forensic examination.
