Revellers were lucky to escape injury during a suspected drive-by shooting at a busy bar in Melbourne's South Yarra early Sunday morning. The attack is the latest in a wave of firebombings, shootings, and kidnappings that have plagued the city's late-night hospitality scene in recent months.
Incident Details
Police are investigating after a car reportedly pulled up outside The Emerson bar on Toorak Road just before 2 a.m. on April 28. Several shots were fired before the vehicle drove away. Investigators remained at the scene later in the morning, and police have appealed for anyone with information or footage to come forward.
This is the second known attack on The Emerson in recent weeks. The venue was targeted in a suspected arson attack in the early hours of April 15, forcing it to close for the following weekend.
Further Attacks
Another venue, Bar Up on nearby Chapel Street, also fell victim to a suspected arson attack on Sunday. Emergency crews were called to the licensed premises just before 5 a.m. following reports that a male offender had set fire to the building before fleeing on foot.
In a separate incident, police charged three teenage boys over an alleged arson attack at a venue in Melbourne's city centre on Saturday. Melbourne City Council staff spotted a suspicious vehicle on safety cameras near the corner of Flinders and ACDC lanes, notifying police shortly after 5 a.m. Officers quickly arrived and found the front of licensed venue Bambi alight. Police chased down two offenders and arrested another nearby. This was the second suspected arson attack on Bambi in April.
The three teenagers, aged 17, 16, and 15, were charged with multiple offences, including criminal damage by fire, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle. They are expected to appear before a children's court at a later date.
Police Investigation
The Arson and Explosives Squad has called for public assistance over a series of apparently linked incidents at hospitality venues across metropolitan Melbourne. Detective Inspector Chris Murray noted the arson attacks, including a factory fire at an alcohol distribution centre in Keysborough on Thursday night. He said there had also been two kidnappings that police believed might be linked to the incidents.
'At this stage, the motive for the incidents remains unclear,' Det Insp Murray said. 'We have not had any reported extortions from any of the owners of the venues which have been subjected to arson or attempted arson.'
Police continue to urge anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers.
