'Blasts heard' before body found near Melbourne kindergarten
A man has been shot dead in a suspected targeted attack on a Heidelberg West street in Melbourne's north-east.
Father-of-one Michael Jones' body was found by a truck driver on the corner of Blackwood Parade and Ebony Parade at around 7:30am this morning.
Police have confirmed the 47-year-old victim, who lives in the area, was shot in the torso, but they have not disclosed what type of firearm was used or how many times he was shot.
Police say the truck driver and police carried out CPR, but he died at the scene.
The man was walking only a couple of hundred metres from his house, said Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey of the homicide squad.
"I'd describe this as a brazen, high-risk crime, where it's placed members of the public at risk," Det Sen Sgt Bailey told reporters.
"There could be schoolkids walking to school."
He said residents of Ebony and Blackwood parades heard the gunshot, but no one had so far reported seeing anyone running away.
Det Sen Sgt Bailey said police believed the shooter ran off, so dog squads were searching the nearby area.
Police say the victim was known to them but had not had dealings with police in the past decade.
Police say no weapon has been recovered and a motive remains unclear.
Det Sen Sgt Bailey said police did not think the shooting was random.
"One would think it's targeted. These type of crimes don't happen in suburbia without some kind of motive behind it," he said.
Ballistic experts, forensics and homicide squad detectives remain at the scene.
A post mortem will be carried out today to determine the exact cause of death.
The area remains cordoned off while police examine the body and question people in the street.
Resident Anna Ali reported hearing a loud explosion and a car speed off.
"It went 'bang'. I thought it was a shotgun, that's what it sounded like. It was pretty loud."
Ebony Parade resident Shirley said the body was found outside her house.
"I thought somebody has blown up something out in the street, or hit the fence or something like that," Shirley told radio station 3AW.
"We did not know that the man was lying in the gutter outside the house."
Anyone with information is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000.
