Residents of a Thomastown street have been rocked by a second shooting in as many weeks.
About nine bullets were fired into a house in Darebin Drive in the early hours of Tuesday morning from a high calibre weapon, killing a 54-year-old and injuring his four-year-old son.
The Syrian-born man was hit in the torso and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. He died hours later.
The pre-schooler was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. He remains in a serious but stable condition.
The house’s front window appeared to be struck four times and a car’s windscreen was damaged.
The pair were lying in bed in the second bedroom back from the front of the house when the shooting occurred.
The deceased man’s wife was also in the room but was unharmed. His two oldest sons were elsewhere in the house and were also unscathed.
FORENSICS POLICE EXAMINE THE DAREBIN DRIVE HOUSE IN THOMASTOWN. PICTURE: JOE ARMAO
Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Mick Hughes said people who live at the address of this morning’s shooting were known to police.
He said those responsible for the shooting are being looked at for murder.
“There’s no second-guessing here, if you’re going to use a high powered weapon I a public place the chances that someone’s going to get killed is pretty high.”
He said at this early stage of the investigation there were no indications it was related to outlawed motorcycle gangs.
The Armed Crime Taskforce was at the scene on Tuesday morning.
The shooting occurred about 3.45am near the Dalton Road end of Darebin Drive, near the corner of Lionel Street.
Less than two weeks ago, on October 16, another house on the corner of Guam Court and Darebin Drive, Lalor, was peppered with bullets – Darebin Drive runs through the border of Lalor and Thomastown
The home of Mounir and Renata Ahmad and their three children was also targeted in the early hours of the morning.
Most of the bullets hit two parked cars out the front of their house, however one went through their front window above their sleeping eight-year-old daughter.
Detective Inspector Hughes said investigators are assessing whether the incidents are linked.
“We’re looking at both addresses but there’s no apparent connection at the moment, but we’ll certainly investigate it,” he said.
Residents concerned
A Darebin Drive resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the spate of shootings have led the family to forego their nightly walks.
“We stay indoors now. It’s the looks you get from people,” she said. “It’s [the shootings] everywhere now.”
Trevor Bunker, who lives a few doors up from the house, said he heard the gunshots this morning and mistook them for a car backfiring.
He said he was now fearful of walking to the shops.
Another neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous, said police have requested footage from his CCTV cameras.
“There were at least a dozen cars driving up and down last night,” he said.
The Thomastown resident of 44 years said these sorts of incidents started in the past two years.
“A lot of the time we think it’s fireworks, and it’s often not reported,” he said.
Homicide Squad detectives are appealing to anyone with information on either shooting to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
