Arrests after dramatic shootout in Melbourne’s north

Three men are facing charges over a shootout in Greenvale that was allegedly sparked by a fight at the notorious Love Machine nightclub.

Patrons outside Love Machine nightclub on Thursday night. Picture: David Geraghty

Organised crime detectives have charged a third man over a wild Greenvale shootout allegedly linked to a fight at the Love Machine nightclub.

Bullets began to fly on July 11 when a gun was fired from a car into a Motherwell Ave house, hours after an alleged glassing at the Prahran venue.

As the car drove away, a man at the house retaliated by opening fire with several shots of his own.

Detectives from the Echo task force this week executed warrants on houses in Pascoe Vale and Collingwood.

A 20-year-old Collingwood man was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm at a premises.

Two Greenvale men, 26 and 30, had previously been charged over the violence.

They will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at a later date.

Police say the investigation remains ongoing.

A violent tiff in the VIP section Love Machine ignited the shooting, a court heard last week.

Accused triggerman Douglas Mikhaeel, 26, was granted bail after a court heard he brawled with rivals inside trouble-plagued venue Love Machine just before 2am on July 11 this year.

The court heard Mikhaeel was “aggressively approached” by Hasan Gunes and others while in the VIP section of the Malvern Rd night spot.

Mikhaeel allegedly assaulted and glassed his rivals after Love Machine security attempted to separate the warring parties.

The court heard CCTV footage from outside the club showed ejected brawlers with blood on their faces.

Police alleged Gunes and associates drove in convoy to a Greenvale home looking for Mikhaeel just before 3am.

The court was told a passenger in Gunes’ white Mercedes Benz blasted seven 9mm rounds at the property including the open garage where Mikhaeel was located.

The court heard Mikhaeel exited the garage and allegedly fired a shot at Gunes’ Mercedes as it sped off.

Mikhaeel then jumped in his own Mercedes and drove off hunting for the Gunes, the court heard.

Anti-bikie cops located three bullet holes and four 9mm bullet casings at the property and on the street shortly after 3.30am.

Police, who also seized a CCTV hard-drive which had been destroyed, have yet to locate the firearms or the Mercedes vehicles, the court was told.

Investigators seized CCTV footage from a nearby property which showed the suburban shootout take place.

The court heard police established an unknown male exited a Mercedes and fired three shots at the Greenvale property before getting back into the car and firing a further four shots.

It was also established a male wearing dark clothing exited the Greenvale garage and fired a shot at the Mercedes.

CCTV footage showed Mikhaeel wearing a dark-coloured LA puffer jacket and dark pants exit the garage, hop in his Mercedes and drive in the direction of the fleeing Mercedes.