Man shot in second drive-by shooting at Kittens strip club in South Melbourne
UPDATE: POLICE believe an outlaw motorcycle gang is behind a second shooting in five weeks outside a Melbourne strip club.
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UPDATE: POLICE believe an outlaw motorcycle gang is behind a second shooting in five weeks outside a popular strip club.
It is understood friction over who runs security at Kittens in South Melbourne has boiled over in recent weeks.
Two men have now been shot outside the venue in Cecil St.
A man was shot in the face outside the strip club late last night.
Police believe a “number of shots” were fired from a car driving past the club just before 11.30pm.
The man, aged in his 40s, was hit in the face.
He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Detective Superintendent Peter De Santo, of the state’s anti-gangs division, said police believed bikies were involved in the shootings.
“This is the second shooting at these premises within the last two months,” he said.
“The investigation has now been transferred over to the Echo Taskforce — the Echo Taskforce being responsible for outlaw motorcycle gangs.
“At this stage there appears to be a connection between these shootings, which are targeted, and OMCGs’ involvement in those drive-by shootings.”
Supt De Santo moved to reassure the public by saying both shootings were targeted and not indiscriminate.
“There are links into OMCGs, but I’m not prepared to say which outlaw gang is involved.
“It’s not a bikie war. It is very early in the investigations.
“We have a certain line of inquiry in relation to the gangs, but due to the early stage of the investigation I can’t take that any further.
“We do believe there is some connection with some shootings which may have occurred in the earlier part of 2015 and back to 2014.
“From what we understand the other (historic) shootings have not occurred at licensed premises. We are looking at links possibly involving security.”
Police believe at least two people were in the car at the time and the shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle.
The car involved last night, which was later found burnt out in Melton, was a white Holden Malibu 4x4, with a red canopy.
Emergency services were called about the car fire at 5.50am in Melton West.
A police spokeswoman said the fire was suspicious.
“Police believe the burnt-out vehicle may have been the same car used in the South Melbourne shooting incident last night,” she said.
It comes just weeks after a bouncer was injured when a drive-by shooter opened fire outside Kittens with at least one security guard and up to five patrons nearby.
A car matching the description of the one involved was later found torched at Port Melbourne, but police wouldn’t confirm it was the vehicle used.