Luxury car, eatery shot at in Moonee Ponds drive-by
A bullet whizzed into the booth of an Italian restaurant in Moonee Ponds, narrowly missing a group of diners after a gunman opened fire. Witnesses say a group was heard shouting in the area before the shocking drive-by shooting.
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Police are night hunting a drive-by shooter who narrowly missed diners when bullets were fired into a restaurant and a luxury car in Melbourne’s northwest.
Police are believed to be investigating whether the incident was related to an altercation nearby.
The white Porsche SUV was parked outside Escagrill eatery, at the intersection of Mount Alexander Rd and Addison St, Moonee Ponds, when the shots were fired at 10.40pm on Friday.
No one was in the car.
hrough the window and was lodged into a booth, narrowly missing four diners seated in it.
— Do you know more? Email mark.buttler@news.com.au
But there were people inside the restaurant, where a bullet flew through the window and lodged in a booth, narrowly missing four diners seated in it.
Another bullet shattered the Porsche’s front passenger window and hit the driver’s seat.
Police have been told two men and a woman were heard shouting in the area before the shots were fired.
A man and woman were also seen leaving the area in a red car just after the incident.
“Detectives are urging these people to come forward and make themselves known to police,” a spokeswoman said.
Shattered glass remained at the scene after police towed away the car.
An operator of the restaurant said it was not the target of the shooting, which happened close to closing time.
The man said it was hit by a ricochet.
“We’re in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said
Escagrill, regarded as one of the area’s best restaurants, had reopened at the start of the month after coronavirus restrictions were eased.
The operator said business was tough enough without being the victim of other people’s disputes.
“If the police didn’t come, we wouldn’t have known it happened,” he said. “We never even heard the shots going off.”
One Addison St resident said he heard two bangs around 10.30pm.
“I presumed it was a car — you never think it’s going to be gunshots,” he said.
Detectives from Moreland CIU spent much of yesterday at the scene.
Investigators will examine CCTV footage and have appealed for anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the website crimestoppersvic.com.au
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