A manhunt continues for the gunman who shot dead a man inside his Sunshine West home last week.
Police were called to an Allison Street address after victim Toan Truong and his heavily pregnant wife, Qwen, heard a noise on the ground floor of their two-storey home about 5.25am.
Toan Truong went to investigate and was confronted by an armed intruder, who shot him before fleeing.
The 43-year-old managed to tell his wife to call triple-0 but died before police and paramedics arrived.
His wife called emergency services and then family members, many of whom were seen crying and wailing outside the house in the hours after the shooting.
The couple’s three-year-old son, Ethan, was also in the house at the time of the attack.
The victim’s older brother, Tai Truong, said the slaying was “senseless”.
“We will miss him very, very deeply,” he said.
A police dog tracked the offender a short distance but lost the scent at the point where detectives believe the gunman entered a car further down Allison Street.
Police were also unable to find a weapon at the crime scene.
The homicide squad’s Detective Inspector Mick Hughes said police were investigating whether the shooting was a targeted attack or an armed robbery gone wrong.
“The wife’s very distraught, naturally,” he said. “It’s a burglary in the early hours of the morning,
“I think any normal person, if they heard someone at the back of their house, they would probably go and investigate,” he said.
Police are investigating possible links between the victim and gunman, but Detective Inspector Hughes stressed the victim did not have a criminal record.
The intruder is described as a Caucasian male, with a thin build and green eyes.
He was wearing a blue mask and black cap at the time of the attack.
Anyone with any information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
– with The Age
