Shots fired at wrong venue on day of funeral for gang boss in Coconut Cartel case

Dozens of mourners gathered at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque to farewell Lorenzo Lemalu, a figure identified by police as the head of the "Coconut Cartel." Lemalu was fatally shot in Ho Chi Minh City on May 21, an attack for which two Samoan men have reportedly confessed on Vietnamese television.

The funeral procession on Sunday took place just 24 hours after police responded to reports of a gunman firing shots into Diamond Venues in Punchbowl. This venue had been advertised as the location for Lemalu's funeral before it was changed to Lakemba Mosque. Video shared on social media appears to show a gunman firing multiple shots from a car into the property.

Lemalu's death has significantly heightened gangland tensions in Sydney. Police sources have indicated they are bracing for potential reprisal attacks in the city. The "Coconut Cartel" is reportedly involved in tit-for-tat shootings with the Alameddine crime family. The gang's name is derived from a historical slur against Pasifika people.

Lemalu's remains were returned to his family this week. A heavy police presence was observed outside the mosque during the farewell, with several police vehicles patrolling the street as mourners arrived and departed. Many attendees attempted to shield their faces from media presence.

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Police believe Lemalu was the head of the "Coconut Cartel", a gang involved in tit-for-tat shootings with the Alameddine crime family and whose name comes from a historic slur against Pasifika people.