Young rapper fatally shot at Halloween party in Melbourne

There have been calls for calm after the up-and-coming rapper was fatally shot at a Halloween rave on Saturday morning in Melbourne’s inner north.

An up-and-coming rapper has been shot dead at a Halloween party in Melbourne.

Pal Bidong, 20, known as “Peezy”, was found dead with a gunshot wound on Langford St in North Melbourne about 3.15am on Saturday morning.

The young rapper was attending a Halloween rave in the inner north when the incident happened.

A young rapper has been fatally shot in Melbourne's inner north. Picture: 9News

Kot Monoah, lawyer and former community chairperson of the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria told 9News the 20-year-old’s death was linked to an “east versus west” gang feud, although Bidong had no links to any gangs involved in the altercation; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Monoah has issued a plea to thew community following the young rapper’s death, urging “for calm so that people don’t take the law into their own hands”.

“The intel is that young people who are friends, close associates and relatives of the deceased obviously are very sad,” he said.

Bidong’s brother, Nyot, remembered him as a “lovely, caring person”, telling ABC the 20-year-old was ready to make it as a star in the drill scene, a subgenre of rap.

“To all of us, and the people who knew him, he was already the biggest thing, and he just wanted to be the biggest thing in the world,” he said.

The young man’s death sparked a violent outburst on the street, with Victoria Police deploying further patrols into the area. A police officer and camera operator who captured the violent scenes was assaulted at the scene.

The teenager accused of allegedly assaulting the camera operator has been arrested, though the gunman remains on the run. Victoria Police said despite not arresting the offender, there was “nothing to suggest there’s an ongoing immediate risk to the community”.

Anyone with footage or information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.