Updated July 15, 2026 — 6:21pm,first published July 15, 2026 — 8:50am

A Sydney car enthusiast has been shot dead in the driveway of his home in what police say was a targeted attack that may have links to organised crime.

Jack Cheung died outside his Carlingford home after being shot several times inside his beloved Hyundai i30 early on Wednesday morning. A member of the public found Cheung, 35, suffering several gunshot wounds just after 7am. He could not be revived.

Acting Superintendent Michael Marinello said Cheung was known to police and detectives were investigating whether the shooting was linked to organised crime.

“We do not believe it was a case of mistaken identity. We believe it was not a random attack,” he said.

Cheung was last month sentenced to a nine-month conditional release order after being found guilty of one count of possessing an unauthorised firearm after being charged last year, but had an otherwise limited criminal history.

Marinello said several people inside the home at the time of the shooting were assisting police. Police were on Wednesday trying to contact Cheung’s mother, who is believed to be overseas.

Police were investigating reports from neighbours that gunshots were heard several hours before Cheung was found.

Cheung’s friends said he was widely respected and loved within the car enthusiast community.

“He will be sorely missed,” they said in a statement to this masthead.

Cheung spoke to several friends on Tuesday night who were not aware of any threats made to him.

Friends often visited Cheung’s home, where members of the car community gathered to work on their cars. Cheung was a trained mechanic but had not worked in the car industry for several years, a friend said.

Cheung often shared images on social media of the Hyundai in which he was shot on Wednesday morning.

The car, which Cheung had raced at track days in Sydney, remained parked outside his home for several hours on Wednesday as forensics officers combed the crime scene for evidence. It was expected to be towed from the property and examined.

Cheung’s friends said they were unaware of any criminal associations the 35-year-old may have had. One friend said Cheung was “happy, friendly, and willing to help people in the community”.

“The other side of him, we didn’t know,” they said.

A neighbour, who asked not to be identified, said Cheung was often working on cars at the home.

“She’s going to be devastated,” the neighbour said of his mother.

“She did everything for her children. She’s going to be a mess.”

Another neighbour said Cheung and his family were quiet and kept to themselves.

Anyone with information about the shooting or dashcam or CCTV footage from the area around the time of the attack is urged to contact police.

“What I can tell the public is that we’re investigating every possible avenue that we can in relation to this matter,” Marinello said.

“We do encourage anybody with information to come forward to us to assist our investigation.”

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Riley Walter is a crime reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.

Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.

Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.