A large-scale homicide investigation is under way after a man was fatally shot, triggering “horribly emotional” scenes in a busy nightlife area in inner Melbourne on Saturday morning.
Victoria police said emergency services were called to Langford Street in North Melbourne at about 3.15am after a man was found with a gunshot wound.
The man, who is yet to be formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective acting inspector Alan Rumble said the scene was “horrible” and, in the aftermath of the alleged shooting, “emotions were high” as friends and family gathered in the area.
“It would be a horrible incident to come across … There were a number of people in the area and emotions were high,” he told reporters. “Anyone confronted with this, whether you’re a friend or family or just a passerby, I can understand it’d be a horribly emotional scene to be confronted with.”
He said it was too early to tell whether the victim and perpetrator were at a nearby venue in the semi-industrial area before the incident and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
“We know there were a lot of people in the area at the time. It was early hours of Saturday morning. There were venues open, or had been recently open in the area, so people were likely on their way home.”
No arrests have been made. Rumble said “a lot” of resources had been dedicated to the incident, including specialist homicide resources and additional police patrols in the area.
He said the investigation was in its infancy and there was nothing to suggest there was an ongoing or immediate risk to the public, despite the perpetrator being on the run.
Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information about the circumstances of the man’s death to contact Crime Stoppers.
“It’s a horrific incident. It’s something that none of what us want to experience, the police or the local community,” Rumble said.
“Our real goal here today is to identify all avenues of inquiry and ensure that the family of the victim are supported at this horrible time.”
