Merrylands, NSW: Third person charged over mistaken-identity shooting of Joshua Macdonald

A third person has been charged over a mistaken identity killing of Joshua Macdonald.

The 40-year-old was gunned down outside a home in Merrylands West in western Sydney on September 2.

An 18-year-old man police allege was contracted to surveil the residence using a drone has been charged with murder and remains before the courts.

Following further inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant at a home unit in Wollongong, south of Sydney, last week and arrested a 28-year-old woman.

She was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, participating in a criminal group and failing to comply with an order to access digital evidence.

Around 6am on Thursday, police executed a search warrant at a property in Pemulwuy.

A 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, and failing to comply with an order to access digital evidence.

Detectives allege he transported the gunmen to and from the vehicles before and after the shooting.

They also allege he transported the individuals who destroyed the vehicles after the shooting.

The 21-year-old is the third person to be charged over the killing of Mr Macdonald, who police believe was not the intended target of the hit, making it the second mistaken-identity shooting related to organised crime in Sydney in as many days.

The morning before Mr Macdonald’s murder, attackers forced their way into a home at south-west Glen Alpine and fatally shot 23-year-old university student Marco Talia.

The shooting of Mr Macdonald was at least the fifth suspected NSW mistaken-identity killing since May 2025.