Gerald Lynch
After two shootings in as many days, Melbourne’s north-west police are out to alleviate concern.
Late on Friday, August 2, police were alerted to a fatal shooting in Burnside Heights.
Emergency services were called to reports of a man with a gunshot wound outside a property on Tenterfield Drive about 9.10pm.
The victim, a 34-year-old from Wallan, died at the scene.
Then, on Sunday, August 4, about 5.30am, a man was driven to a hospital with a gunshot wound after being involved in a “targeted” attack in Melbourne’s north-west.
The man presented with “non-life-threatening injuries”, according to Victoria Police.
It is believed he was shot on Evergreen Avenue in Albanvale.
North-West metro division three acting superintendent Andrew Markakis said both shootings are believed to be targeted attacks, although believed to be isolated incidents and unrelated to each other.
“We are undertaking proactive patrols right across Brimbank and Melton with a very high level of saturation of police presence, through Operation Cavalcade,” he said.
“Resources drawn from specialist support areas such as police horses walking down the streets of where incidents have occurred to bolster police presence, mitigate community harm, and provide reassurance.”
After strong trial runs of Operation Cavalcade in the months of May and July, the operation will continue to run in Brimbank and Melton, in attempts to keep residents as safe as possible.
“Of course we can’t stop every offence … however, we will throw everything we have at it to mitigate harm to the community,” Mr Markakis said.
“At the moment we are exploring all the leads we have in the hope that we can make imminent arrests.”
A teenager was also stabbed with a machete in Caroline Springs on Thursday, August 1, at the CS Square Shopping Centre, about 5.15pm.
He was rushed by ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital with life-threatening injuries to his hands, head and torso.
Mr Markakis said the incident was also separate from the shootings.
