Robert Issa identified as man killed in ‘targeted’ shooting at Craigieburn Central shopping centre
A man killed in a brazen drive-by shooting in the Craigieburn Central shopping centre carpark had become embroiled in a dispute with a dangerous crime syndicate.
Police & Courts
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The man shot dead in a brazen drive-by shooting in Melbourne’s west has been identified as a key player in a major underworld dispute.
Up to four masked gunmen remain on the run after firing multiple shots at Robert Issa, 27, while he was sitting in a parked white Mercedes at the Craigieburn Central car park at 3pm on Saturday.
A 28-year-old man who was also injured in the attack has been identified as concreter Eric Catanese.
The tradesman from Hadfield in Melbourne’s north was seated next to Robert Issa when the gunmen fired on the car.
Mr Catanese’s mother told 9 News she didn’t know why her son was in the vehicle with the suspected underworld figure, and that he was a good child and a hard worker.
Mr Catanese suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and was in a serious but stable condition.
How gunmen fled
It is understood the gunmen opened fire near the shopping centre’s Timezone arcade, riddling the side window of the Mercedes with at least eight bullet holes.
The assailants used three separate vehicles in their escape.
After approaching the Mercedes on foot, the gunmen were spotted driving away from the precinct in a black Range Rover sport, turning left onto Aiken Blvd before they abandoned the car and set it alight on Broad St in Westmeadows.
One of the attackers is believed to have burned himself while torching that vehicle.
They were then spotted crossing a footbridge where they got into a nearby blue Toyota which was also later discovered torched on Hamersely Court in Reservoir.
Their trail then runs cold after using a third getaway car to flee from Reservoir.
Police hold concerns the four mystery gunmen could flee overseas.
Crime Command Commander Paul O’Halloran said information from the public would be crucial to identifying the gunmen’s movements after they abandoned their third vehicle.
“This is where we need your help,” he said.
“It was a busy location with cars and people in the vicinity of people on site.
“We’re appealing for any information from witnesses and dash cam will be vital to advance this investigation.”
Issa involved in underworld dispute
The Herald Sun can reveal that Issa had become embroiled in a dispute with a dangerous crime syndicate.
That group is heavily involved in high-level drug trafficking.
“They are now going hard. They are running wild,” one well-connected source said.
Issa is believed to have been close to a Comanchero-linked figure who has been involved in ferocious conflict with that faction.
The Comanchero-linked figure Issa had teamed up with has a long background as a triggerman in the northern suburbs.
He is suspected of involvement in a series of tit-for-tat firebombings on businesses and homes across Melbourne.
That is a largely separate dispute to the tobacco wars currently raging among powerful underworld figures.
Commander O’Halloran said it was yet to be determined whether Issa was directly linked to the slew of tobacco store fires across Melbourne.
He said police were bracing for potential retaliation attacks as a result of Issa’s death.
“That’s always a concern for us,” he said.
Despite Issa’s connections to the underworld, his death has rocked Melbourne’s Syrian community.
He has been remembered as a well-liked member of the community whose death has sparked an outpouring of grief.
Dozens of mourners have taken to social media to offer condolences to their friend, offering prayers for his family, who could be seen clashing with police at the crime scene in a state is distress.
New task force set up to tackle tobacco wars
It comes as State Anti-Gangs Superintendent Jason Kelly said state and federal agencies had formed a new task force to target tobacco firebombings and growing tensions between Middle Eastern organised crime figures.
It is believed there are two key crime syndicates who are behind the raging war for control over Melbourne’s illegal tobacco trade, which is just one of a number of flare ups involving MEOCS.
“As a result of the risk presented associated with this type of offending, this issue is now firmly in the sights of Victoria police,” he said.
Superintendent Kelly said key rivals in the violent underworld war were not only fighting over the distribution of illegal tobacco, but were extorting tobacconists through forced weekly payments that were delivered directly to organised crime figures.
He said investigators had several “major players” in their sights after making 13 arrests since the spate of arsons and targeted attacks began in March.
MEOCS groups, as well as bikie gangs, are also recruiting youths to carry out arsons and other crimes.
Issa had been targeted before
Issa was the likely target of another drive-by shooting in Craigieburn last month, when mystery attackers shot at his parents’ home while they slept inside.
It is possible that previous drive-by shooting at his parents’ home was a warning for Issa to back off.
That happened within days of the murder of gangland wild man Gavin Preston but is believed not to be related.
Commander O’Halloran confirmed Issa was the intended target when unknown shooters peppered his parent’s Excelsior Heights home on September 14.
Brazen hit ‘incredibly frightening’
The latest shooting was the third cold-blooded public killing with suspected gangland links to rock Melbourne in the past two months.
The attack on Issa and it’s public nature shocked even seasoned observers.
“F**k, these (people) are f … crazy,” one said.
Family members were heard crying out in grief inside the cordoned-off area after Issa was shot.
Commander O’Halloran said the shooting was “incredibly frightening”.
“This is a particularly serious and concerning incident, which would have been incredibly frightening for the people who were in that car park at that time to witness that,” he said.
“It’s a terrible incident. We’re thankful that no one else was wounded.
“Incidents such as this and the indiscriminate use of firearms is completely unacceptable, particularly in public areas, but at any time.
“We are doing everything we can to investigate these matters to bring these people to justice and take these weapons out of the hands of these criminals.
“We want to make the point that Melbourne and Victoria is a safe place … a very safe place.
“Victoria Police understands that this is very distressing and worrying.”
Elevate 24:7 Fitness worker Veronica Estimova, who works just metres from where the shooting occurred, said she heard “loud bangs” just after 3pm.
“It was quite scary, we didn’t know what was going on,” Ms Estimova said.
“A group of people ran into the gym and said there had been a drive-by shooting, they said they saw a young man lying on the ground.
“There was a lot of commotion.
“It’s very concerning, you don’t expect something like this to happen in broad daylight.”
Desi Dhaba Craigieburn restaurant manager Pushpinder Rana said some of his customers witnessed the shooting.
“People came in from the street and said a shooting happened and someone got killed,” he said.
Premier to see if cops need more powers
Premier Jacinta Allan has promised to meet Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton to see if cops need more powers in the wake of Saturday’s brazen Craigieburn shooting.
Asked if she was concerned if gang wars were spiralling out of control, Ms Allan agreed Victorians would be shocked by the latest shooting.
“Clearly an event like this in a very public place is very distressing for the witnesses who would have seen that event,” she said.
While police had dedicated taskforces to probe gangs and gun crime and the tools and resources to investigate these matters”, Ms Allan did not rule out giving cops even greater powers.
“We’ve already strengthened a range of powers for Victoria Police and made the investments to give them the resources they need,” she said.
“As I continued the conversations with the chief commissioner of police I will take his advice on if there are additional respirates and powers that are needed.”
She said it was up to police to stop the violence.
“We do need to let Victoria Police do the good work they do both in investigating this matter and also supporting people in the local area,” she said.
“No doubt the people who witnessed this awful event will be provided with the support they need.”
Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has dashcam vision should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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