Twenty-two-year-old Giovanni Focarelli died in the shooting in Flame Avenue at Dry Creek on Sunday night. His father Vince Focarelli is i...
Twenty-two-year-old Giovanni Focarelli died in the shooting in Flame Avenue at Dry Creek on Sunday night. His father Vince Focarelli is in a stable condition after being shot up to four times. Police say Mr Focarelli, the self-appointed head of the South Australian chapter of the Comancheros bikie gang, is refusing to help with investigations into his son's death. Detective Superintendent Grant Moyle says the two men were shot in a street at Dry Creek and the father then drove his dying son as far as Prospect in Adelaide's inner north. "We have a scene in a street at Dry Creek where we believe that the shooting did initially take place and that Focarelli has driven from there and down Prospect Road, where he's come across a patrol and he's stopped in front of that and sought their assistance," he said. "Detectives have spoken to Mr Focarelli at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. "He has declined to provide us any information that might assist us in identifying the offender. PHOTO: Shot dead: Giovanni Focarelli, 22. (facebook.com) "That is a difficulty we face in these particular cases. The people that do know information are often reluctant to assist the investigation." Detective Superintendant Moyle says police fear there could be reprisals. "We'll try to do what we can to talk some sense into these people and prevent anyone else from getting injured," he said. Vince Focarelli was shot in the leg last month and was the target of a failed bomb attack earlier by two Hells Angels associates. That bomb exploded prematurely, killing both of the would-be attackers. Adelaide lawyer Craig Caldicott says Vince Focarelli has alienated many other bikies. He says differences began when there was a falling out with a member of the Hells Angels. PHOTO: Lawyer Craig Caldicott warns of open warfare (Loukas Founten: ABC News) "It was on a personal level. They had been friends and then suddenly there was a huge falling out and I think out of the genesis of that Focarelli, with a view to try to protect himself, formed the New Boyz and then tried to brand himself as a Comanchero," he said. Mr Caldicott, who has legally represented many bikie gang members, says there is now more volatility due to Government changes to laws, to target bikies. He says some older gang members have quit because of the legal crackdown but it has left the situation chaotic. "At least they could keep control. You're [now] talking about open warfare. It would never have happened in the good old days," he said. "The wiser, older persons in the bike groups have moved out of them and it's romanticised ... the outlaw image and it's attracted a whole raft of new persons into the bike groups and there's no control being exercised at the moment."
