Taha Sabbagh was gunned down outside Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton, western Sydney

A possible case of mistaken identity has emerged in the fatal shooting of a man outside a gym in Sydney. Taha Sabbagh was attacked on Thursday by a masked gunman as he walked to his car with a cup of coffee outside the Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton, western Sydney.

The intended target of the shooting was reportedly Hany Sbat, the owner of the gym, who is currently out of the country. It is believed that Sabbagh, who was driving a similar car to Sbat’s Mercedes SUV, was mistaken for the gym owner. Sabbagh had limited criminal history, and he and Sbat were longtime friends.

Sabbagh’s 12-year-old son was with him in the car and witnessed the shooting, which occurred in broad daylight. Witnesses reported hearing the boy screaming for help after his father was shot at least six times.

Police have described the shooting as a “targeted organised crime murder” and are investigating the incident as such. Sabbagh’s car is now a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation. While detectives are looking into whether Sabbagh had any enemies, his limited criminal history suggests otherwise.

Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, who heads the state’s homicide squad, described the shooting as “appalling” and said that the community should be “appalled that this happened in front of a 12-year-old, quite rightly.”

Sabbagh’s last social media post, just hours before the shooting, showed his son practicing martial arts at the gym where they were both regulars. Sabbagh’s murder has left his son “traumatised,” according to Det Supt Doherty, who added that the boy was physically uninjured.