Police investigating links to organised crime after man shot dead in Melbourne home
Updated . First published at
A gunman remains on the run after a man was shot dead in a suspected underworld hit in Wollert in Melbourne’s north on Thursday afternoon.
Police found the body of 42-year-old Ali Mohamad Albadri on Gypsum Road around 5.30pm.
Police officers in Wollert on Friday after a man was shot dead on Thursday afternoon. Wayne Taylor
9News understands Albadri had links to organised crime, including jailed tobacco war king pin Kaz Hamad.
Those links will form part of the police investigation.
Detective Acting Inspector Paul Scarlett said police believed the victim was alone at the home when the shooting occurred and family members, including children, arrived home shortly afterwards.
“Clearly the family who live at that address are distraught and we are yet to have further discussions with them,” Scarlett said.
“This is a very delicate time for them and a very disturbing time for them and we are going to do what we can when we can with the family at that address.”
CCTV has been obtained from adjoining Lowline Way, in which gunshots can be heard before a man is seen picking up what appears to be a black bag from the ground and fleeing into a park.
The gunman is believed to have fled in a light-coloured car.
The CCTV also shows two terrified witnesses fleeing into a brown Commodore Sedan after the gunshots ring out. Scarlett says those two men running towards the waiting brown Sedan car just before shots rang out were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“We are aware that there are images in the media of a brown Commodore seen in this area,” Scarlett said.
“I can advise you the occupants of that vehicle have been spoken to by police and at this early stage of the investigation we don’t believe the occupants of that vehicle are involved in this incident.”
No arrests have yet been made.
Scarlett said the exact circumstances and motivation behind the shooting were yet to be determined but said police believed more than one person may be involved.
“I’m not aware of any information that suggested that this male was at risk, but again this is early stages of the investigation, so we’re looking at all possible avenues,” Scarlett said.
“The home we are talking about is a family home and yesterday a man was shot to death at that address.
“This sort of criminal activity is just abhorrent and the homicide squad will do all we can to bring that person or those people before the courts to have them held to account.
A large crime scene was still in place on Friday morning and paramedics were seen assisting a woman in tears.
“It was horrible and I could see some children witnessing the incident, and I think it’s really bad for them,” one neighbour told 9News.
Another local, who lives on Lowline Way, told The Age that the shooting was a “real shock”.
“It’s never happened before, we couldn’t sleep the whole night.”
In July last year, 21-year-old Athan Boursinos was gunned down in the same suburb, allegedy by hitmen police suspected had travelled from NSW.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
