Three Charged in the Murder of Sydney Student Who Was Killed in a Mistaken-Identity Attack

Three people have been charged with murder over the death of a 23-year-old university student who was shot inside his family home in Sydney after police determined that the wrong house had been targeted.

Marco Tapia was killed in the early hours of September 1 at his home in Glen Alpine, in Sydney’s south-west. Emergency services were called shortly before 3:40 a.m. following reports of a home invasion.

Police found Tapia suffering from a gunshot wound inside the house. He died at the scene.

Three More People Charged

On September 29, detectives from the New South Wales Homicide Squad arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, and a 16-year-old boy in Junee.

The three were taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station and charged with murder. They were also charged with offences relating to aggravated break and enter and firearms.

Police allege that the three entered Tapia’s home and that one of them was armed with a pistol. Investigators say Tapia was not the intended target.

Two other teenage boys had already been charged earlier in the investigation.

Police Say the Wrong House Was Targeted

Investigators have spent weeks trying to establish who was responsible for the attack and why Tapia’s home was targeted.

Police now say the offenders went to the wrong property. They are also investigating who organized the alleged attack and whether it was connected to organized criminal activity.

Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said investigators believed the three newly charged people were among those who entered the house during the fatal attack. Police have not yet established who fired the shot.

Marco Was a University Student and Volunteer

Tapia was studying biomedical engineering and was completing an internship. His family described him as a caring and generous young man who was committed to helping other people.

He was also involved in youth activities, volunteered with Engineers Without Borders and helped run science, technology, engineering and mathematics workshops for disadvantaged young people.

His mother said the family wanted people to remember Marco for the life he lived and the difference he was making, rather than only for the circumstances of his death.

Investigation Continues

The three newly charged suspects remain in custody while the case proceeds through the courts.

Police say their investigation into the people who organized the alleged attack is continuing. Authorities are also examining whether other criminal activity is connected to the shooting.

For Marco Tapia’s family, the latest arrests mark another step in an investigation into the death of a young man who police say was simply in the wrong place when armed intruders arrived at his home.

Sources

• ABC News Australia — “Teenage boy and two men charged with murder of Sydney mistaken-identity shooting victim Marco Tapia” — September 30, 2026.
• NSW Police — “Homicide Squad detectives charge three people including the alleged shooter for the murder of Marco Tapia” — September 30, 2026.
• The Guardian Australia — “Teenage boys charged with murder after alleged mistaken identity shooting of Sydney student” — September 17, 2026.
• The Nightly — “Marco Tapia murder: Mum speaks after three charged over alleged mistaken identity shooting” — September 30, 2026.