A drive-by shooting on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Sydney’s west left a 32-year-old man dead and a community asking how such violence erupts in plain sight. Dawood Zakaria, a known figure in the city’s underworld, was ambushed on Church Street in Granville in May 2025.

Age at death: 32 · Date of shooting: May 2025 · Location: Granville, NSW · Suspects charged: 2

Two teenagers have since been charged, but the motive remains unclear. This article pieces together the verified facts, the suspects, and what the case tells us about Sydney’s gangland landscape.

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Dawood Zakaria, 32, died from a gunshot wound to the head (ABC News)
  • Shooting occurred on Church Street, Granville, in May 2025 (ABC News)
  • Two teenagers have been charged with murder (The Nightly)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact motive for the shooting (ABC News)
  • Full extent of Zakaria’s criminal network (ABC News)
  • Whether the second teen is the shooter or an accomplice (ABC News)
3Timeline signal
  • Mid-May 2025: shooting on Church Street (ABC News)
  • August 2025: second teen charged (ABC News)
  • November 2025: Jacob El-Masri refused bail (ABC News)
4What’s next

Six key facts about Dawood Zakaria’s case, drawn from police and court reports:

Fact Detail
Full name Dawood Zakaria
Age at death 32
Date of incident May 2025
Location Granville, NSW
Cause of death Gunshot wound to head
Suspects charged 2

Who was Dawood Zakaria?

  • Dawood Zakaria was a 32-year-old identified underworld figure in Sydney, according to The Nightly (Australian news website).
  • He died from a gunshot wound to the head after a drive-by shooting in Granville in May 2025 (ABC News, Australia’s public broadcaster).
  • Police treat his death as a targeted killing (ABC News).
  • He was linked to other known figures including Sylvan Singh, although the exact connection remains under investigation.

Background and underworld ties

  • Details about Zakaria’s early life are scarce, but media reports consistently describe him as a “gangland figure” (The Nightly).
  • His brother Masood Zakaria has been mentioned in passing, but no official statements link him to the case.
The upshot

Zakaria’s profile as a confirmed gang figure means the shooting is almost certainly tied to an ongoing feud or financial dispute. With two teens charged, the question is whether they acted alone or were part of a larger network.

The Granville shooting

  • The shooting occurred on Church Street, Granville, after 5pm on a Sunday in May 2025 (ABC News).
  • Zakaria was inside a car when ambushed (The Nightly).
  • He underwent surgery but died on Tuesday after the attack (ABC News).

The pattern: A targeted drive-by in a public street, midday, with the victim caught in his car. The ambush style mirrors other Sydney underworld hits, suggesting a coordinated execution rather than a spontaneous fight.

How did Dawood Zakaria die?

  • Police confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head (ABC News).
  • The incident occurred on Church Street, Granville, after 5pm (ABC News).
  • Zakaria was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died two days later (The Nightly).

The day of the shooting

Hospital and death

  • Zakaria was rushed to Westmead Hospital for emergency surgery (ABC News).
  • He died on Tuesday, May 2025, from a gunshot wound to the head (ABC News).

Police investigation

  • Task Force Falcon detectives took carriage of the case (NSW Police Force).
  • Police suspect a targeted drive-by and have not ruled out further arrests (7NEWS Sydney).

Why this matters: The rapid police response and charges within three months suggest investigators already had intelligence on the perpetrators. But the reported belief that six men are still wanted (reportedly according to 7NEWS Sydney) indicates a wider conspiracy.

Who is accused of killing Dawood Zakaria?

  • Jacob El-Masri, 19, was charged with murder and refused bail in November 2025 (ABC News).
  • A second 19-year-old male was charged in August 2025 (ABC News).
  • Police allege El-Masri tracked Zakaria before the shooting (ABC News).

Jacob El-Masri’s alleged role

  • Court documents allege El-Masri conducted surveillance on Zakaria in the days leading up to the killing (ABC News).
  • He was arrested at a property in western Sydney and charged with murder and attempted murder (The Nightly).

Second teen charged

  • In August 2025, a second 19-year-old was charged over his alleged role in the fatal shooting (Dailymotion video).
  • His identity has not been publicly released, pending court proceedings.

Court proceedings

  • El-Masri appeared at Parramatta Local Court in November 2025, where bail was formally refused (ABC News).
  • The second teen is also before the courts, with the next mention expected in 2026.

The implication: The alleged premeditation — tracking a target for days — suggests this was not a random act. The young ages of both accused point to a disturbing trend of teenagers being drawn into Sydney’s gangland culture.

What is the connection to Sylvan Singh?

  • Police allege that a reference made by the accused was not about Sylvan Singh or Dawood Zakaria, suggesting both were victims or targets in the same underworld context (ABC News).
  • Singh was also a victim in the same underworld context, but the exact nature of the connection remains under investigation.

Sylvan Singh as victim reference

  • Sylvan Singh has been linked to other gangland incidents in Sydney, though details are sparse due to non-publication orders in some court cases.

Possible gang rivalry

  • Media reports frame this killing as part of a broader wave of Sydney gangland shootings in 2025 (The Nightly).
  • The involvement of multiple parties suggests a feud rather than a personal grudge.

The catch: Without official police statements linking the cases directly, the Sylvan Singh connection remains circumstantial. But the coincidence of two underworld victims being mentioned in the same court hearing is hard to ignore.

What is the current status of the Dawood Zakaria murder case?

  • Two teenagers have been charged: Jacob El-Masri and a second male (ABC News).
  • El-Masri was refused bail in November 2025 (ABC News).
  • Police continue to investigate possible further suspects (reportedly according to 7NEWS Sydney).

Charges laid

  • Both face murder and attempted murder charges (The Nightly).

Court hearings

  • The case is before Parramatta Local Court, with a committal hearing expected in 2026.

Ongoing investigation

  • Task Force Falcon detectives are still gathering evidence and appeal for witnesses (NSW Police Force).
  • Police believe up to six men may have been involved in the ambush (reportedly according to 7NEWS Sydney).

What this means: With only two arrests so far, the investigation is far from over. If the six-men claim holds, the court cases could multiply, and the true scale of the operation behind Zakaria’s killing may only emerge over the next year.

What to watch

The upcoming committal hearing will determine whether the evidence against El-Masri and the second teen is strong enough to send them to trial. Any new arrests will signal whether police have cracked the wider network.

Timeline of events

  • Mid-May 2025: Dawood Zakaria is shot on Church Street, Granville (ABC News)
  • Mid-May 2025: Zakaria dies in hospital from a gunshot wound to the head (ABC News)
  • August 2025: A second 19-year-old is charged over the murder (ABC News)
  • November 2025: Jacob El-Masri is refused bail in Parramatta Local Court (ABC News)

Confirmed facts

  • Dawood Zakaria died from a gunshot wound to the head (ABC News)
  • Jacob El-Masri and another teen have been charged (The Nightly)
  • El-Masri’s bail was refused in November 2025 (ABC News)

What’s unclear

  • Exact motive for the shooting
  • Full extent of Zakaria’s criminal network
  • Relationship to Masood Zakaria
  • Whether the second teen is the shooter or an accomplice

Key statements from court and police

“Police will allege in court that the accused tracked the victim before the shooting.”

— ABC News, reporting from Parramatta Local Court

“The court heard that Jacob El-Masri was refused bail due to the seriousness of the charges and the risk of further offending.”

— ABC News, bail hearing coverage

“Task Force Falcon detectives have charged a man for his alleged role in a fatal shooting.”

— NSW Police Force, official Facebook statement

Editor’s note: The murder of Dawood Zakaria is a window into Sydney’s persistent gangland violence. For the NSW Police Force, the case is a reminder that each targeted shooting demands rapid intelligence work, but the next arrest may not be the last. For the public, the unanswered questions — who ordered the hit, and why — linger as the courts determine the fate of the two teenagers already in custody. For Sydney’s western suburbs, the choice is clear: either community policing and prevention stem the tide of violence, or the cycle of retaliatory shootings continues.

Additional sources

afp.gov.au, instagram.com, tiktok.com, tiktok.com, dailymotion.com

Frequently asked questions

Was Dawood Zakaria a known gangster?

Yes, media outlets including The Nightly described him as an “underworld figure” and his death as a gangland-style murder.

Where did the shooting take place?

The shooting occurred on Church Street in Granville, western Sydney (ABC News).

How many people have been charged in connection with his death?

Two teenagers have been charged – Jacob El-Masri in November 2025 and another 19-year-old in August 2025 (ABC News).

Is Jacob El-Masri the main suspect?

He is the only named suspect so far. Police allege he tracked Zakaria before the shooting (ABC News). He has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

What was the alleged motive for the killing?

The motive remains unclear. Police have not publicly stated a reason, but the targeted nature suggests a feud or debt (The Nightly).

Are there any other suspects still at large?

Police reportedly believe six men may have been involved in the shooting, implying four more suspects remain uncharged (reportedly according to 7NEWS Sydney).

What is the next court date for the case?

The matter is before Parramatta Local Court. A committal hearing is expected in 2026, but exact dates have not been publicly listed.