OFF THE WIRE
Vincenzo Focarelli, president of the Comancheros bikie club, has escaped a third attempt on his life
OUTLAW bikie Vincenzo Focarelli has survived a third attempt on his life, fleeing a gunman who wounded him during a midnight ambush.
The president of the Comancheros motorcycle gxxg, who has been the target of two other murder attempts, had driven to a home in Crown Court, Munno Para West, with other people for a meeting with an unknown man.
Witnesses heard shouting before at least four shots were fired.
They saw men running down the street as the gunman and another man fled on a Japanese sports bike.
Focarelli, previously the leader of the New Boys street gang and owner of Hindley St tattoo parlour Ink Central, left a bloody trail, smashing a window on a nearby home and then fleeing through its back door.
Focarelli was found by police in a back yard a short time later. The men in the car also fled.
At least one of the shots struck Focarelli, who was in a stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Hospital security were guarding him last night.
In September last year, a man levelled a handgun at Focarelli inside a Sefton Park supermarket before he ran to safety. It was believed to be a bungled murder bid, linked to an ongoing feud with rival gxxg the Hells Angels.
In February, 2010 , Hells Angels associates Vahe Hacopian, 31, of Munno Para West, and Barzan Palani, 23, of Walkley Heights, died when a bomb meant to kill Focarelli at his Enfield home exploded prematurely.
Crime Gangs Task Force Detective Inspector Paul Yeomans said yesterday police were trying to piece together the circumstances of the latest incident.
Det Insp Yeomans refused to label the ongoing violence a "bikie war".
"This isn't a bikie war. At this stage it's an altercation between two male adults," he said.
"We're not looking at this as a bikie war at all.
"It's been well documented that there has been a timeline of violence involving the Hells Angels motorcycle club and the New Boys, (who) have been patched over recently to the Comancheros.
"Whether this incident is related to that is still something we are trying to identify."
The shooting scene is less than 1km from the home of Hells Angel Zoran Nikolic - whose Andrews Farm home has been the target of several drive-by shootings.
In the last attack in August 2010, Nikolic's dog was wounded when 20 shots were fired into the home.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/man-in-surgery-after-shooting-at-munno-para-west/story-e6frea83-1226223561549
