Police hunt for suspected gunman who strolled through South Yarra

A suspected hitman can be seen casually making his getaway after executing a Melbourne crime figure connected to the Comanchero bikie gang, who is believed to have been at a South Yarra park for a rendezvous.

A suspected hitman executed a Melbourne crime figure before coolly walking 2.5km through busy streets to make his getaway.

The gunman who murdered Daniel Wayne O’Shea at Fawkner Park three weeks ago strolled through South Yarra for more than 20 minutes, carrying a red and white Coles shopping bag.

A baseball cap concealed his face.

Though he frequently looked down at a mobile phone it is believed not to have been switched on, and he may have been peering at it so his face wasn’t caught on camera.

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He walked along Toorak Rd and Como Avenue, and investigators are appealing for dashcam footage from motorists in the area at the time that might fully show the man’s face.

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, of the homicide squad, said there would be people who knew what had happened but who were reluctant to come forward. “All we need is a name,” he said.

Det. Insp. Stamper said: “Someone out there knows exactly who this man is. They know who he is, why he was there, and what connection he has to our victim.

“I would also stress to anyone who does know who this is but has some concerns coming forward, it can be done via Crime Stoppers with absolute anonymity,” he said.

Police wish to speak to a man in a green cap and black clothing who was seen walking in the area at the time of the shooting in Fawkner Park.

Daniel O'Shea was shot dead in Fawkner Park.

O’Shea, 41, known to friends as “Shot Caller”, was regarded as a formidable and well-connected crime figure with links to the drug trade.

He was involved with some of the biggest names in the city’s underworld and was connected to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang.

It is expected those relationships will figure in what looms as a complex inquiry.

“He’s got fingers in a lot of pies,” a police source said.

It is believed likely O’Shea was in the park for a rendezvous before being shot at 7.40pm on April 26.

Detectives are trying to establish who he was meeting.

Next day, children found two guns in an adventure playground.

Forensic tests indicate the firearms are linked to the shooting.

O’Shea, who was involved with a tattoo parlour, was shot at the western end of Fawkner Park.

The man depicted in the CCTV footage wore a black jumper and pants and a green baseball cap.

Police have tracked his movement from the murder scene past dozens of CCTV cameras, but the trail ends when he enters Como Park.

The path the suspected hitman took after leaving Fawkner Park.

A young boy discovered weapons in leaves after police had searched the area.

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One possibility is that a vehicle or driver was waiting for the triggerman there.

The Herald Sun has been told O’Shea often preferred to meet associates in parks.

O’Shea, of Carnegie, had a criminal history that had caused him to spend significant time behind bars.

In 2010 he was arrested by Special Operations Group police over the shooting of a man in Fairfield.

The SOG is frequently used to apprehend high-risk offenders.

He was charged with intentionally causing injury, conduct endangering life and possession of a firearm.

Det. Insp. Stamper said: “Regardless of the circumstances, someone has been murdered. We have a mother who has lost a son. People have lost a partner or friend.

“It’s for those people — and the wider community, which is no doubt concerned about something like this happening — that we need to find out who is responsible for Daniel’s death,” he said.

Anyone with information about the shooting of Daniel O’Shea or about the man in the CCTV footage can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by visiting www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

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