Brutally honest message from the brother of the Greenacre shooting victim as he records a powerful video from the hearse carrying his sibling’s body that every Australian should listen to

The heartbroken brother of a young man who was shot in a hail of bullets while in his car has shared a powerful video message about the death from the front seat of a hearse.

Ahmad Al-Azzam, 25 – the latest victim of cocaine gang warfare in Sydney that has claimed 23 lives – was buried on Thursday, more than a week after being shot in Greenacre at around 2am on July 23.

Family and friends flocked to Mr Azzam’s funeral prayers at Lakemba Mosque, nearly two weeks after he was shot down in his car by a hail of bullets in the middle of the night in an industrial area.

During the drive to his funeral at the nearby Rookwood cemetery, Mr. Azzam’s brother recorded a video message with funeral director Ahmad Hraichie with the coffin in the back seat.

The relative said, “The message is that death has no time. It will come to you at any time. It doesn’t matter if you are young if you repent tomorrow.

‘My brother was 25, he had his future ahead of him. He was still telling me about opening a business and getting married.

“Two weeks later I heard the news and he had passed away.”

That prompted the undertaker to add: ‘Beautiful words, take only one thing out of it. Remember this, my brothers, today you live. Tomorrow you may stand in the back of this and be taken to the graveyard’.

How the funeral went

Dozens of male mourners carried his green coffin, decorated with Arabic script, into the mosque just before noon Janaza – the Islamic funeral prayer – on Thursday.

Family and about 100 staff, most in hoodies, track pants and sneakers, gathered at the service, where Mr Al-Azzam was remembered as a ‘beloved brother’.

Women in burkas were seen entering the mosque, where they were led to a separate room.

Emotional attendees wiped away tears as they exchanged condolences and the coffin was loaded into a hearse.

Police could be seen monitoring the area and driving circles down the street in a marked vehicle.

After the service, the procession proceeded to the Rookwood cemetery in Lidcombe for a burial ceremony.

Emotions ran high as the coffin, draped in a velvet ceremonial cloth with green and gold decorations, was taken to a freshly dug grave in front of 100 male mourners.

Mr. Al-Azzam’s body was taken out of the coffin at 1:00 PM in the Muslim section of the cemetery and lowered into the grave.

Mr Al-Azzam’s death continues an ongoing gang war in south west Sydney.

NSW Police launched a strike force to coordinate investigations into recent public place shootings and related organized criminal activity.

The killed man was sitting in his car in an industrial area of ​​Greenacre at around 2 a.m. on July 23 when gunmen opened fire.

He was shot multiple times and taken to hospital in critical condition, but died of his wounds a week later.

Last Thursday, family members announced the death of Mr Al-Azzam on social media.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that my brother Ahmad Al-Azzam, aged 25, has returned to his Lord this morning,” the post read.

Due to the large number of bullets aimed at Mr Al-Azzam’s car, investigators suspect that he was the target of the assassin.

But the motive remains a mystery, as none of the three victims had a criminal record or ties to organized crime gangs.

Emergency services were also alerted to a young couple Kaashif Richards, 22, and Achiraya Jantharat, 19, in another parked car about 50 yards away.

Mr. Richards was hit by bullets in the neck, while Mrs. Jantharat suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

Ms. Jantharat has since been discharged while Mr. Richards remains under care.