Father shot while confronting man who followed his daughter home in Melbourne

In Melbourne's south-east, a father is currently in an induced coma after being shot during a confrontation with a man he believed was following his daughter. The incident occurred overnight and the man remains in critical but stable condition in the hospital.

According to the police, 21-year-old Blessing Valla was driving in Cranbourne East at around 12:25 am when she noticed a white station wagon following her. Feeling uncomfortable and unsafe, she quickly called her father, Victor, who instructed her to head home. Victor then went outside to meet his daughter.

During a press conference, Detective Acting Superintendent Mick Daly stated that the white station wagon followed Ms Valla home and an altercation broke out when Mr Valla approached the car. "The father went out to confront the person in the other vehicle and after a heated exchange, the driver shot him," Daly explained.

The 58-year-old was shot in the abdomen and the perpetrator fled the scene in the white station wagon. Ms Valla immediately called triple zero and neighbors rushed to help Mr Valla before he was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, but thankfully not life-threatening.

According to Mr Valla's ex-wife, the shooting was completely unprovoked. "My daughter witnessed everything," she shared. "She kept pleading with her father not to go. She was left holding his hand. She told me, 'Dad almost lost his life for me.' It's unbelievable, a young boy with a gun."

The police are treating the shooting as a random attack and do not believe that the parties involved knew each other. "We are unsure why the offender targeted the daughter and why the father was shot," Daly stated. The police have also confirmed that another carjacking and stabbing that occurred in Cranbourne East around the same time is not related to this incident.

Detectives are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and assist with the investigation. They are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area, specifically involving a white vehicle. The community's help is crucial in solving this case and bringing justice to the victim and his family.

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