MELBOURNE - A man pleaded for his life before being executed in front of his wife in what police describe as a cold-blooded murder in Melbourne's suburbs.
The 46-year-old man died at about 11pm (0100 Saturday NZT) yesterday after a gunman entered his St Albans home, north-west ofMelbourne.
"Once inside the premises, the gunman approached the father and executed him in cold blood, basically firing the shot into him, killing him virtually instantly and in front of his wife," Detective Sergeant Chris Dorman told reporters today.
"It was an act of cold-blooded murder basically. It was an execution-style murder and it was done in front of his loved ones."
Mr Dorman said the man's 13-year-old daughter did not witness the shooting but was present when he passed away.
He would not be drawn on how many shots were fired but said police believed the victim may have known his attacker.
"The information that we have is the deceased begged for his life," he said.
"We believe... that it wasn't a random attack. We believe there may have been an association between the gunman and the family."
Mr Dorman said the family was "absolutely devastated".
"The family are here with us now and we are taking care of them and considering their welfare issues, at this stage they're assisting with inquiries," he said.
The dead man's name and address were suppressed today as officers canvassed the area for possible clues to the killing.
"A canvas of the neighbourhood was done and there were some neighbours who said they heard loud shots like firecrackers," he said.
Mr Dorman said police were still investigating a possible motive for the killing.
"We don't know at this stage, we're exploring all facts and all options," he said.
