Walid Chaaban fronts court over a shooting on Lonsdale St

A coked-up Dallas man shot an 18-year-old in the leg outside a popular Melbourne strip club after a verbal stoush in the smokers section turned violent.

Walid Chaaban has pleaded guilty to shooting an 18-year-old in the leg outside The Men's Gallery in December 2023. Picture: Instagram.

An armed and coked-up thug shot an 18-year-old at point-blank range outside a popular Melbourne strip club during a verbal fight between two groups of people turned violent.

Walid Chaaban, 25, of Dallas, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Tuesday to charges of intentionally causing injury, possession of a firearm while subject to a firearm prohibition order and possession of cocaine.

The shooting happened on Lonsdale St in central Melbourne about 4am on December 10, 2023 outside The Men’s Gallery Strip Club.

Prosecutor Victoria Worrell said a tense verbal altercation occurred between Chaaban, his accomplice Daniel Bodagh and a friend of the victim in the strip club’s smoking area, and all agreed to leave the venue.

The victim and his friends had been at the strip club for an 18th birthday party.

Police investigate the shooting by Walid Chaabal on an 18-year-old man on Lonsdale St. NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

The court heard that Chaaban ran to a parked Hyundai, opened the door, obtained his satchel, placed it on his shoulder and closed the door.

He then removed a .45 calibre handgun from the satchel, placed it under his T-shirt, turned around and walked back towards Lonsdale St.

Chaaban cocked the firearm before hiding it in his T-shirt while a physical fight between Bodagh and a friend of the victim moved from Merriman Lane to Lonsdale St.

The victim and others were following the fight but were not actively involved.

The victim was standing in front of a Mercedes and punched Chaaban as the latter ran past him.

Chaaban then shot him in the left leg before Chaaban, Bodagh and another person left the scene in a Hyundai and went to a house in Broadmeadows. The victim was transported to The Royal Melbourne with serious leg injuries.

Bodagh pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in July 2022 to one charge of affray and was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order.

A second man, Walid Chaabal, has admitted his role in a shooting outside The Men’s Gallery on Lonsdale St in central Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Defence lawyer Louis Dean said Chaaban was relatively young and maintained good family support which was indicative of the fact his mother and two brothers wrote insightful references to court.

He said Chaaban used the firearm in retaliation to being punched and that he’d been drug free for a year.

Chaaban was remanded in custody to be sentenced on February 14.