Masked hitman comes knocking in Reservoir shooting as city’s gun crime escalates
A shooter wore a radio and a military-style vest as he struck at a suburban Melbourne home, his target seen running for his life under a hail of bullets in the latest gun attack in the city.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
CCTV footage has emerged of two assaults on a north suburban house, one of which left a man lucky to survive a hail of bullets.
Police suspect bikies and Middle-Eastern organised crime figures are linked to the late-night attacks in Bray St, Reservoir, being investigated by the anti-gangs Echo task force.
Between five and 10 shots were fired from a pistol in each incident.
The victim’s car was also set alight outside the home in a third attack inside a week.
It is unclear why the gunman was wearing a radio during the shooting attacks, but one theory is it was so he could communicate with his getaway driver.
The incidents follow a succession of gun attacks in recent months, including a March murder outside a Kensington boxing tournament, the double-fatal drive-by at the Love Machine nightclub in April and the execution of crime figure Daniel O’Shea in Fawkner Park last month.
In the first Reservoir shooting, about 12.50am on Tuesday June 4, CCTV footage shows a masked gunman climb a short fence at the side of the property and walk to the front porch.
He opens fire, repeatedly kicks at the front door and shouts at someone inside: “Open up you f---ing c---. Open up. Open up.”
As he leaves, the intruder fires on vehicles parked in the driveway.
Four people inside the house were unhurt.
The offender allegedly drove a 2016 red Holden Commodore and was later found burnt out in Mickleham.
About 4.30am on Wednesday June 5 the victim’s car was set alight outside the home.
In footage of last Saturday’s second attack, the victim appears relaxed as he walks from the house at 1.30am to meet someone.
He uses his mobile phone as he casually climbs the fence to get into the street, where a Porsche SUV is parked with its lights on.
As he crosses the road, someone climbs from the SUV, walks towards him and opens fire.
The wounded householder hurdles the fence and runs back to the house amid rapid gunfire
The SUV then speeds off. It was found incinerated in Mitchell St, Brunswick East, 25 minutes later.
The victim was taken to hospital with injuries police described as not life-threatening.
Detective Superintendent Peter Brigham, of the state anti-gangs division, said he understood community concern at such public firearms offending.
“I want to reassure the community that police and our division are working hard to investigate this incident and hold those responsible to account,” Supt Brigham said.
“This footage is confronting and in releasing it we’re hoping that someone will come forward with information.
“The people involved in this have friends, they have relatives, someone knows who is responsible and I’m urging those people to come forward — we don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
Supt Brigham confirmed police were examining possible links with outlaw motorcycle gangs and figures connected to Middle-Eastern organised crime.
“I want to also reiterate that this appears very much a targeted attack and at this stage there is no evidence to suggest the shootings are linked to any other incidents we’re aware of,” he said.
Police are appealing for the public for help in identifying the gunmen caught in shocking CCTV footage of the shootings, as well as any information about illegal guns.
“These types of offences involve illegal firearms, illegal firearms that are trafficked between criminal groups,” Supt Brigham said.
“The victim is extremely lucky to be alive.”
“The offenders involved in this are completely reckless in their approach to the public.
“These are cowardly acts.”
CITY IN THE GRIP OF GUN EPIDEMIC
The Reservoir ambush was yet another indication of criminals’ access to guns and their willingness to use them.
A succession of Melbourne shootings this year — many in public places — have left a trail of victims, including eight dead men.
The Reservoir victim can count himself fortunate not to have joined them after Saturday morning’s ambush, in which he suffered wounds to the back when 10 shots were fired.
As with the latest case, many of this year’s attacks are suspected of having Middle-Eastern organised crime connections.
The first phase of shootings started on March 1 when Craigieburn man Ben Togiai was shot dead outside a fight night in Kensington.
Three men were arrested over that incident and another, Ali El Nasher, of Brunswick, remains at large.
Two days later, Comanchero-linked Mitat Rasimi was fatally wounded in Dandenong, his body recovered from the car he had crashed in a vain attempt to escape his killer.
On March 4, Ali Ali, 28, and Deniz Hasan, 40, were shot dead in Meadow Heights.
Then, on March 10, Winis Apet was gunned down in Springvale.
Crowd controller Aaron Khalid Osmani and patron Richard Arow were next to die when the Love Machine nightclub was sprayed with bullets from a passing Porsche SUV on April 14.
Carnegie man Daniel O’Shea was murdered 12 days later in Fawkner Park.
In the past fortnight there has been a fresh wave of shootings, none fatal.
A home in Campbellfield and a luxury vehicle parked in the driveway were shot up in the early hours of Friday and a man wounded at Narre Warren the next day.
On Monday morning, a victim was shot in the leg when three men forced their way into his home at Emerald, in the Dandenong Ranges.
And on May 26, a man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg at Tullamarine.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au