Gunfire at Sydney gangster’s funeral venue linked to cartel war
Consensus Summary
On June 6, 2026, multiple shots were fired at Diamond Venues Group in Sydney’s Punchbowl, a location previously advertised for the funeral of Lorenzo Lemalu, a leader of the Coconut Cartel. Police confirmed no funeral was taking place and no injuries occurred, though two linked crime scenes were established, including a burning abandoned car nearby. Lemalu was killed in Vietnam on May 2, 2026, in an ambush linked to two Samoan men arrested by Vietnamese authorities. The Coconut Cartel, led onshore by Henry Kupa and fugitive Anthony Pele, is engaged in a violent conflict with the Alameddine family, with broader family members also targeted. SMH provided video evidence of the shooting, showing a hooded gunman using an AK-47-style weapon, while ABC noted the venue’s connection to Lemalu’s rescheduled funeral at Lakemba Mosque.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Multiple shots were fired at Diamond Venues Group (Punchbowl, Sydney) on June 6, 2026, around 2:20pm by an unknown SUV.
- No injuries were reported during the shooting at Diamond Venues Group.
- Police established two linked crime scenes: Diamond Venues Group and Gillian Place (Punchbowl), where an abandoned car was found burning.
- Lorenzo Lemalu, a leader of the 'Coconut Cartel,' was shot dead in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on May 2, 2026.
- Lemalu’s body was repatriated to Australia this week (June 2026).
- The 'Coconut Cartel' is involved in a conflict with the Alameddine crime family.
- Vietnamese police arrested two Samoan men, Joseph Vaa and Steve Tofa, for hiring Lemalu’s assassination.
- Henry Kupa (27) is the alleged onshore leader of the Coconut Cartel, linked to drug importations under fugitive Anthony Pele.
- Iziah Utai, another senior Coconut Cartel figure, is wanted for murder and believed to have fled Australia.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The venue was advertised on social media as the location for Lemalu’s funeral, but police confirmed no funeral or mourners were present.
- There was one person working in a nearby office connected to the same building during the shooting.
- Lemalu’s funeral was rescheduled for Lakemba Mosque on June 7, 2026.
- Dramatic video footage from SCN Worldstar showed a hooded gunman firing dozens of shots using an AK-47-style machinegun from a car.
- A voice in the video said, 'The window, cuz,' before firing, and another remarked, 'Are ya done? Let’s f---ing go, lad.'
- Matt Utai, retired NRL star and father of Iziah Utai, was seriously injured in a February 2026 shooting outside his Greenacre home, believed to be targeting his son.
- Lemalu was suspected of directing the Coconut Cartel’s war against the Alameddine family.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the shooting occurred at 2:20pm, while SMH does not specify an exact time but places it shortly after 2pm.
Source Articles
Breaking: Shots fired where gangster's funeral was advertised to be held
Multiple shots have been fired at a venue at Punchbowl in Sydney's south-west on Saturday afternoon.
Gunman opens fire at Sydney gang leader’s funeral venue
Footage shows a hooded gunman firing shots at Diamond Venues in Punchbowl with a heavy military weapon from an SUV before driving away.