Man charged with murder after boy, 12, shot in the face and neck in Sydney last month

A man has been charged with murder over the shooting death of a boy, 12, in Sydney’s north in September.

Police were called to a unit on Fairway Drive, Norwest, on 21 September 2026 after reports of a shooting.

Officers found the boy had sustained a gunshot wound to his face and neck.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the boy before he was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Police said nine other people who were in the home at the time of the alleged incident were not injured.

Three men – all aged 18 – were arrested, with two released pending further inquiries.

The third man was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence and remains before the courts.

About 8pm on 24 September, police were informed that the boy had died and the investigation was taken over by the state’s homicide team.

About noon yesterday, police arrested a 19-year-old man – who was an 18-year-old at the time of the incident – at Silverwater correctional facility and charged him with murder.

Friends and family paid tribute to the boy, who was a member of Sydney’s Maronite community. “Rip my baby,” his father wrote on social media. “Rest in peace little cuz … Heart broken,” another family member posted.

Det Supt Naomi Moore told reporters in late September that police were “aware” of the unit where the shooting had occurred and had “engaged with the occupants previously”.

“This shooting at this stage does not appear to be linked directly to current conflicts however a number of individuals who were inside the unit at the time are well known to NSW police,” she said. “Their association with organised crime is being considered by investigators.”