A teenage boy is "extremely lucky" to be alive after he was shot while sleeping, in a possible case of mistaken identity.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A car was seen driving a couple of laps around Janmara Court at Endeavour Hills in Melbourne's southeast in the early hours of Wednesday, before it stopped outside the boy's home and several rounds were fired at his house.
Two of the rounds, fired from either a car or the footpath, went through his bedroom window as he slept.
The 17-year-old sustained an upper body injury and was taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition about 1.20am.
He has spoken to police.
His family members in the home were a 56-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman, a 26-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl, but none were injured.
Victoria Police Acting Inspector Al Hanson said officers did not believe anyone at the house was the target, and could not answer whether someone linked to the family who wasn't home at the time could have been the intended victim.
The detective said the 17-year-old was extremely lucky to be alive.
At least two people were believed to be involved in the attack, he said.
"The family are completely co-operating and helping us with our inquiries," Det Hanson told reporters.
"I expect people to be on edge, that would be natural. But rest assured police are devoting a lot of their energies to catching the offenders."
Following the shooting, police found a grey Mitsubishi Eclipse SUV burnt out at a reserve in Narre Warren about 4am.
The car was believed to have been stolen at the end of August.
Witnesses reported one of the offenders was burned when they set fire to the car.
It was possible another getaway car was waiting for the attackers at the Narre Warren reserve, Det Hanson said.
"We urge (the person who set fire to the car) to come forward and contact police," he said.
Another shooting at Dandenong on Sunday night was also targeted, Det Hanson said, so a random gunman was not going around firing at homes indiscriminately.
Officers had no information suggesting the Endeavour Hills incident was linked to gang or other criminal activity.
Police urged anyone who saw the Mitsubishi, particularly between 1.30am and 4am on Wednesday, to come forward.
Major crime scene unit detectives and officers are investigating.
Australian Associated Press
