Daily Telegraph: Parramatta shooting: Multiple shots fired outside police HQ on Charles Street
- Victim identified as Curtis Cheng — father of two and 17-year veteran of the police force who worked in finance
- 15-year-old gunman of Iraqi-Kurdish background and born in Iran
- Had visited Parramatta Mosque before shooting rampage
- NSW Police commissioner Andrew Scipione: Attack was ‘politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism’
- NSW Premier Mike Baird: ‘This tragedy will echo around the world’
Police shooting victim Curtis Cheng
SMH: Parramatta shooting: Gunman identified as Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar
The 15-year-old boy who shot dead a NSW police employee outside the force’s headquarters had not come to the attention of counter terrorism police before he carried out the “politically motivated” attack.
High school student Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng, 58, from behind and at close range outside police headquarters at Parramatta at 4.30pm on Friday.
The teenager, who went to school at Arthur Phillip High just 300 metres away from where the attack took place, then continued to fire his handgun outside the police building until he was killed in a shoot out with three special constables.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said it was believed the teenager was acting alone and that police had no prior information that he posed “this type of threat”.
“We are exploring every avenue with regard to why he did what he did,” Mr Scipione said.
The perpetrator had just left a mosque. That’s where to investigate.
“We have no information that this individual posed this type of threat but … we believe his actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism.”
Fairfax Media has been told Farhad was not linked to anyone targeted in Operation Appleby, the massive counter terrorism raids carried out in September 2014.
It was reported that his brother contacted police after hearing of the shooting, concerned Farhed might have been involved.
Police were on Saturday night trying to make contact with Farhad’s sister. The ABC reported she flew out of Australia on a Singapore Airlines flight bound for Istanbul on Thursday and may have been attempting to reach Iraq or Syria.
She had taken all of her belongings with her.
Police said they had not yet uncovered any messages, religious writings or notes left by Farhad.
His social media accounts appear mostly untouched since about 2013, when he sent tweets about the reality talent show The Voice.
He did, however, visit nearby Parramatta mosque on Friday afternoon before carrying out the attack. It is understood he changed into the flowing black shirt and black trousers there. Detectives were seen visiting the mosque on Saturday.
“He clearly went [to police headquarters] wanting to be killed so he very well may have got rid of everything beforehand,” a police source said. “There is no way he was expecting to survive.”
Farhad is understood to have been carrying an “old-style handgun” but police were still yet to determine how he had obtained it.
Jihadis can always obtain weapons. Check the mosque.
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‘NSW Premier Mike Baird: ‘This tragedy will echo around the world’.
And like Charlie Hebdo and the Lindt Cafe nothing will come of it.
After all he is only a young ‘lone wolf’ who had just left the mosque. Little bast***d!
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