I live in the area and have done my entire life. My brother in year 12 last year at Merrylands High, actually, and one of his good friends was injured in the attack. I'm just glad my brother graduated and wasn't at the school when it happened.
To be quite honest I'm unsurprised it happened in this area. I feel hugely unsafe whenever I'm around here, especially if alone, and I can't wait to move somewhere nicer. It's an awful area in terms of being dangerous and in terms of the crime levels. I've seen a lot of stuff happen around here, and it's not fantastic.
Merrylands, Granville, Guildford and surrounds are all very bad areas. Unless you've lived around here you can't say otherwise. The place is packed with gangs. I've come home to see six police cars out the front of my place due to gang related violence. I've seen guns pulled on people at 5.30 in the afternoon. I've had people threaten to put my head through a concrete wall for wearing something they didn't approve of.
I don't know what the problem is though, about 10 years ago this area wasn't anywhere near as bad as it is now. First Granville Boys, and now Merrylands High... *sigh*