Man, 47, charged with murder after 32-year-old allegedly shot dead in Melbourne high-rise complex

A 47-year-old man has been charged with murder after a 32-year-old man died in an alleged targeted shooting at a high-rise apartment complex in Melbourne's east.

Emergency services were called to the complex at Whitehorse Road in Box Hill about 1.50am yesterday over reports of an altercation.

Residents living in the high-rise reported hearing a loud bang before the fire alarm sounded a short time later.

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It's understood the 32-year-old man who died triggered the fire alarm in an elevator.

That lift, as well as the entire 11th floor of the building, was declared a crime scene.

The man, who is yet to be formally identified, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

"Maybe around 1am or 1.15am I heard something, like barely a yell or something," one resident told 9News.

Dozens of residents were evacuated onto the streets for several hours and were only allowed back into the complex just before 5.30am.

"There was a lady, just out of the blue started scream crying," another resident said.

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"They haven't told us much, just that the worst happened, like that it can't get much worse."

Another resident described the situation as "pretty scary", adding that "it was really, really tragic to hear the screams of the family members".

Forensic police and homicide detectives spent much of yesterday collecting evidence from inside the building.

"A crime scene has been established, and the investigation remains ongoing," Victoria Police said yesterday.

"Police are treating the incident as targeted."

A nearby resident said he saw a man and woman running out of the apartment complex around the time of the shooting, and taking off in a white SUV, which was waiting around the corner.

Late yesterday, police made an arrest in Bonnie Brook in Melbourne's outer west and another two roughly 100 kilometres away in Talbot and Maryborough, north of Ballarat.

The 47-year-old Bonnie Brook man was arrested, along with another 47-year-old man from the same suburb and a 27-year-old Maryborough woman on Thursday evening.

The second Bonnie Brook man and the woman have been released pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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