31 January 2012

Bikie boss taunted enemies before shooting

Comancheros boss Vincenzo Focarelli taunted his enemies online and posted video of himself shadow-boxing before his son was shot dead and he was seriously wounded in a shooting attack last night.

The leader of the outlaw bikie gang is now in hospital refusing to co-operate with police after surviving a fourth attempt on his life.

Focarelli suffered multiple gunshot wounds and his 22-year-old son, Giovanni, died at the scene after the shooting on Sunday night at Dry Creek, in Adelaide's northwest.

Just last month, after surviving a gunman's ambush at Munno Para West, Focarelli bragged on Facebook about being "the only man on the planet with nine lives" who "feels like a rock star" from all the media coverage on his narrow escapes.

The bikie boss was seen in a YouTube clip posted earlier this month that shows him shadow-boxing for the camera in a video that appears to promote life in the Comancheros gang in Adelaide.

Now recovering at Royal Adelaide Hospital after this latest shooting, Focarelli is refusing to tell police who shot him and killed his son.

Detective Superintendent Grant Moyle said police will do everything they can to prevent retaliation.

"I would suggest it was a very planned, targeted attempt on his life," he told reporters in an overnight press conference.

"It is a concern to us that retribution might take place, but we will do what we can to talk sense into these people.

"He has declined to provide us any information that might assist us in identifying the offender.

"That is a difficulty we face in these particular cases.

"The people that do know information are often reluctant to assist the investigation."

South Australian Police Minister Jennifer Rankine is being briefed on the shooting by Police Commissioner Mal Hyde.

She said police are doing their best to deal with the scourge of outlaw gangs and SA has very tough anti-bikie laws.

"Hundreds of them have been arrested and charged. Hundreds of their associates have been arrested and charged," she told ABC Radio.

"The frustration is these people have absolutely no regard for the law or, it would appear, for their safety or the safety of the community."

Police are doorknocking an area near Flame Avenue in Dry Creek where they believe the Focarellis were shot.

Vince Focarelli, who is believed to have been wounded up to four times, apparently bundled his son into a car and drove it towards the city, waving a police car down in suburban Prospect.

Giovanni was dead by the time an ambulance crew arrived.

The 22-year-old had also been attacked before and had refused to co-operate with police investigating his attempted murder.

Part of Prospect Rd was cordoned off overnight while police examined the Focarellis' car.

About half an hour after the shooting a group of people arrived and had to be restrained by police from entering the crime scene.

News Ltd said one woman had to be tackled by three officers.

Dry Creek resident Steven Basilico, 15, said his family heard three to four shots around 8.30pm (CDT) on Sunday.

"It was pretty frightening," he told journalists as he headed off for the first school day of 2012.

He said they believed it was a drive-by shooting at a nearby park.

Neighbour Peter Frost, an electrician, said it was normally a quiet suburb.

"You read about (shootings) in the paper and usually it's the other side of town, you don't worry about it," he told AAP.

"I thought (the shots) were firecrackers," he added.

Mr Frost said police were door-knocking in the area until 3am (CDT). They are still investigating in the cordoned-off street.

heraldsun.com.au 30 Jan 2012

The police are fully aware of the illegal and criminal activities of these people but choose not to do anything.

The drug truf wars are spilling into the streets, where innocent people are being put at risk of being seriously injured, but the powers in governance let the criminals go free.