Father killed, four-year-old son injured in shooting at Thomastown house
UPDATE: A TOP cop has denied Melbourne is in the grip of “gang warfare”, instead blaming warring crime gang factions for a spate of recent shootings.
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A TOP cop has denied Melbourne is in the grip of “gang warfare”, despite a spate of shootings in the city’s north. in the past fortnight.
The head of Victoria Police anti-gangs division, Supt Peter De Santo, told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell some of the nine drive-by shootings this year were linked to Middle Eastern crime gangs.
“I wouldn’t say there was a thread between the whole nine, because there are various Middle Eastern groups that are involved in these drive-bys,” he said.
“But predominantly there is a link between ... one or two factions that are involved up in these shootings.”
In the latest incident, Rachad Adra, 54, was fatally wounded when a high-powered gun was fired into his house in Darebin Drive, Thomastown, about 3.45am yesterday. His son, 4, was also wounded.
Bullets slammed through the wall of the bedroom where he was sleeping with his wife and son.
His distressed wife was last night comforting her boy, who remained in a stable condition at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Supt De Santo does not believe public safety is at risk.
“These drive-bys are targeted against warring factions. The community in general normally don’t become involved in this,” he said.
“Unfortunately there is a spate of them and it raises community concern.”
He said Middle Eastern gangs were known to seek retribution against their rivals through drive-by shootings.
“I don’t think we are in the middle of any gang warfare. The Middle Easterns unfortunately have this reputation of seeking retribution against their own by doing drive-bys,” he said.
The Herald Sun can reveal Melbourne’s Taha family and their associates may be a common link in the shootings.
Adult son Mohamad Adra, who was in the house but was unharmed, is a Facebook friend of more than one Taha.
Another of his Facebook friends is one of Melbourne’s most scrutinised underworld figures, now in a detention centre awaiting trial on major drug-trafficking charges.
And a house in Graham St, Lalor, which was shot on October 12, was once lived in by the Tahas.
The Taha family denied to the Herald Sun that they were targets of the shootings.
They said they did not know who was responsible for the shooting at Graham St, where it is understood their mail is still delivered.
Graham St residents said the Taha family had lived in the house about two years ago.
Earlier this month, another house — also in Darebin Drive — was shot in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity.
The homicide squad’s detective Inspector Mick Hughes said Rachad Adra was not known to police.
Insp Hughes said the motivation for his tragic shooting was unclear.
“The viciousness of the attack — you’d think it was targeted,’’ he said.
“If you fire a high-powered weapon through a house, there’s a good chance you’re going to kill someone — in this case, they have,’’ he said.
There was no evidence of drugs being a factor, he said.
A neighbour, who asked not to be identified, said the victim was “a family man”.
“He loved his children very much,” the neighbour said.
“He was always outside playing with the little one. The little one was always laughing.
“It’s sad to know that he has to grow up without a dad.”
Sanea Houssein, who lives in the Graham St property with her family, said she was terrified early on October 12 when she heard the shots.
Police ruled out a connection to another shooting in Riggal St, Broadmeadows, about 4.30am on Sunday, in which a man in his 40s was shot in the leg.
He was taken to hospital in a serious condition. Police said he was not co-operating.
