Melbourne gang violence: Coburg locals fear escalation of gun violence, Sam Abdulrahim shot

Three shootings in three weeks, all within 3km of one another. What is happening in Melbourne’s north? Read what the locals are saying.

An outdoor gym are is empty beside the Coburg Lake carpark, where a man was shot by police on Monday yesterday evening. Locals are afraid of the escalating gun violence in the inner-north. Picture: Hugo Timms

After witnessing three shootings in two weeks, residents of Melbourne’s inner-north say they are scared and concerned over the future of their community.

On Monday evening a man was shot multiple times by police in the Coburg Lake Reserve carpark in an incident believed to be connected to the violent stabbing of a man in Albanvale last week – the third shooting in 14 days, all of which have occurred within a 3km radius.

Two days earlier, ex-Mongols Sam Abdulrahim was peppered with bullets after attending his cousin’s funeral in Fawkner, while on June 14 on Heather Ave, Pascoe Vale, a teenager is alleged to have fired an SKS assault rifle into a residential home.

One woman, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisal, said she was almost carjacked by the alleged gunman responsible for shooting Mr Abdulrahim on Saturday — a fate that instead fell on a terrified mother a few cars in front of her.

The mother said she lived only a few hundred metres away from where the man was shot by police at Coburg Lake on Monday night.

“I just feel unsafe,” she told Leader.

“It’s not a good environment for my kids to grow up in.

“They’re starting to think gun violence is normal.”

She said the events of the past few days still felt “surreal”.

“I’ve never had to lock my kids in the car,” she said,

“A few minutes earlier and that could have been us getting carjacked.

“I walk often through Coburg Lake and park in the carpark. I won’t be doing that again.”

A second Coburg mother, who again was fearful of revealing her name, said her two children were coming back from a daytrip to Pentridge Prison when the man was shot over the road.

“I feel afraid for my kids — they could have seen a shooting,” she said.

“It’s just never crossed my mind we could be so close to something like that.

“At the end of the day, there are guns in my neighbourhood and they’re being fire. That’s unnerving.”

She said recent events had forced her to be more strict on how much autonomy her young children would receive.

“All of a sudden there’s no going to Pentridge, there’s no going up to the plaza.”

The ramifications are being felt across the business community.

Pino Ulanio, who owns the West Street Deli in Hadfield, said it would have an impact the community.

“It’s a ripple effect. It’s not now, it’s in the next few months that people might stop coming out so much,” he said.

Local councillor Oscar Yildiz, who has lived in the inner-north for much of his life, described the situation as “scary”.

“Why is it all happening in Moreland?” he said.