# Alleged drone operator charged with murder after mistaken-identity shooting in Sydney

https://mins.news/en/item/55508

- The Guardian, 2026-09-12 04:37 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/12/alleged-drone-operator-charged-murder-mistaken-identity-shooting-western-sydney-ntwnfb

> NSW police have charged an 18-year-old with murder over the suspected botched gang hit that killed Joshua Macdonald, 40, at his Merrylands West home on 2 September. Police say a seized drone may indicate surveillance, while a 19-year-old arrested alongside him faces separate criminal-group charges. Macdonald was not known to police and had no organised-crime links.