When the youngest Ibrahim brother was serving time in jail for manslaughter, he said all he wanted to do was get out, get a job and take care of his mother.

But after just four months of freedom Michael Ibrahim, the brother of Kings Cross nightclub boss John, was shot in the shoulder as he returned to his Macquarie Street home on Sunday night.

Several shots were fired at Ibrahim as he walked past the nearby office building Dorchester House. The building is just 400 metres away from the Lindt cafe, where a gunman held 18 people hostage in a separate act of violence in the city three weeks ago.

Ibrahim underwent surgery on his shoulder and was in a satisfactory condition on Monday morning.

The former nightclub doorman was released on parole in August, after serving more than his 6½-year minimum sentence for the manslaughter of Robin Nassour, brother of Fat Pizza comedian George Nassour, who was fatally stabbed in 2006.

During his sentencing in 2008, the court heard Ibrahim had a particularly close bond with his mother Wahiba and was "highly motivated towards rehabilitation with a view to returning to [the] community in order to take on employment and to care of [her]".

Before his release he told the parole board he wanted to turn a new leaf, and that having to be behind bars while his mother was treated for cancer was a "wake up call".

Police spoke to Ibrahim about the shooting as he recovered in St Vincent's Hospital. The Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad is likely to assist with the investigation.

"Our information is that there [were] at least two people involved," Sydney City police commander Detective Superintendent Allan Sicard said.

He said it was believed a white car – possibly a late-model Audi – was seen nearby.

"We are pursuing all lines of inquiry about the motive behind the shooting," Detective Superintendent Sicard said.

"It is of great concern that people choose to use guns on a public street. That's something we've worked very hard in NSW Police to eliminate or reduce, and we've done a good job of doing that."

Michael is the third Ibrahim brother to be shot.

In June 2009, Fadi Ibrahim was shot five times while sitting in his black Lamborghini outside his Castle Cove home.

At the time, links were made between that shooting and the underworld killing of Milad Sande in 2005. Sande was the cousin of a Bandidos Blacktown chapter member, Danny.

The eldest Ibrahim, former Nomads bikie boss Hassan, or Sam, was shot in the legs in a drive-by shooting as he smoked a cigarette outside their mother's house in Merrylands in January 2011.

While in jail, Michael Ibrahim was charged with – and later acquitted of – planning to murder former Ibrahim family friend John Macris, believing he had organised the near-fatal shooting of Fadi. Macris was never charged in relation to that shooting.

Michael Ibrahim's criminal history dates back to 1996, and includes convictions for possession of an unauthorised firearm, assault, drug supply, hindering a police investigation and making a false statement.

A State Parole Authority spokesman said the shooting would not affect Ibrahim's parole.

"He was allowed to be where he was," the spokesman said.