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Melbourne underworld figure Sam Abdulrahim, also known as "The Punisher", was shot dead in front of his girlfriend as the pair were walking to his car in the city's north-east.
Emergency services were called to a car park at an apartment block on High Street in Preston just before 10.30am, after staff called triple zero.
Police said they believed the 32-year-old Thomastown victim was Abdulrahim.
Warning: This article contains a graphic image.
READ MORE: The rise and falls of Melbourne's most hunted man
"It appears at this stage that the male was walking towards his car and the offender has approached and a number of shots were fired," detective inspector Dean Thomas said.
Abdulrahim's distraught girlfriend attempted to provide first aid and CPR to the underworld figure, but he died at the scene.
She was physically unharmed in the shooting but was understood to be "extremely distressed and distraught".
She is assisting investigators in their investigation, police said.
Detectives believe the killers fled the car park in a white Porsche SUV heading north on High Street.
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The vehicle made its way to Reservoir where it was found torched at the intersection of Northernhay and Alexandra Streets, just after 10:30am.
Police said they believe more than one offender was involved in the murder.
Investigators are keen to speak to anyone who saw the vehicle in the Preston and Reservoir areas this morning, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the vehicle.
There is a heavy police presence in the area, with officers seen patrolling the scene and High Street completely blocked off.
A black Mercedes has been left abandoned on the side of the road.
Police believe Abdulrahim had been staying at the apartment block at the time, possibly checking in as recently as yesterday.
Thomas said Victoria Police was not aware of any "live threat" to Abdulrahim's life.
"If we did, we would have done what we could to share that information with him," Thomas said.
There was no evidence to suggest a retaliation attack would occur, he said.
"There's always concern around retaliation … there will be a high visible police presence in the area over the coming days," Thomas said.
"But we have nothing at this stage to suggest there will be retaliation.
"This investigation has the full weight of Victoria Police behind it … we'll leave no stone unturned until we identify those responsible."
Not the only assassination attempt
The former Mongols bikie survived several attempted assassination attempts in the past three years.
Abdulrahim escaped injury following a shooting outside his home on Larch Street in Thomastown in May, 2024.
He also survived an assassination attempt when he was shot five times in the chest and stomach at Fawkner Cemetery in June, 2022.
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He was driving his luxury Mercedes in his cousin's funeral processional on Box Forest Road in Fawkner when a Mazda pulled up alongside it and someone opened fire at his chest.
The gunmen ran from the scene, before carjacking a mother and her four-year-old son.
Abdulrahim attempted to drive himself to Fawkner police station and get help before being rushed to hospital.
Days later, Abdulrahim taunted his rivals from his hospital bed after the failed attempt on his life.
"Allah is bigger than all these flops. They'll get their day," he wrote.
He also survived two other attacks, in 2019, including one where he was assaulted with a rock while in prison.
It's understood the former Mongols bikie had been living in hiding to escape a $1 million murder contract on his head, according to The Age.
