The victim was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition. He was expected to have surgery on Saturday. Investigators said the 4WD's registration plates were covered, and it may have been in the area for an extended period of time before the shooting. A gunman remains on the run after the shooting. Credit:Nine News Detective Senior Constable Mark Walsh said the 56-year-old local business owner was shot in front of his wife, and at close range. "He'd just arrived home from a family wedding, and as he's approached the door, the male offender has walked up to him ... has said nothing to him and has shot him straight away," Detective Senior Constable Walsh said.

Loading "There was a fair amount of blood lost by the victim." Detective Senior Constable Walsh said there were two people involved in the "bizarre" attack, a male offender and another person who drove the shooter to and from the scene. Both were wearing masks during the incident. He said that police were no closer to finding a motive for the crime after interviewing witnesses and family. It is not believed to be linked to any other offending. "There's nothing in the victim's background to suggest why... There's no ongoing disputes," Detective Senior Constable Walsh said.

"We've spoken to the entire family, they all work in the same small business. They say they spend the majority of their days working, so they don't have any reason to believe anyone would specifically target them either. "The fact their father's been targeted coming home from a wedding, a time you normally celebrate ... they're really shaken in terms of why this has happened." Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said on Friday that armed and newly-forming criminal networks were working together to carry out violent crimes, as police work to halt the illegal gun trade. Mr Cornelius said unlike gangs, the loyalties of these new criminal enterprises would shift depending on the crimes they were committing.

"This presents a considerable risk not only to my members but more particularly with the community," he said. Mr Cornelius' warnings came as the force investigated three shootings over four hours on Friday morning. Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius Credit:Justin McManus Mr Cornelius took on Melbourne's north-west police portfolio in April 2019 . He said even in that short period of time he'd seen a significant increase in number of criminals using guns. But he warned against pigeon-holing gun crime as a gang-related problem with "criminal enterprises" increasingly joining forces and changing allegiances to peddle their illegal activities.

Loading "We see the emergence of a gun culture and a preparedness to use firearms in the facilitation of criminal activities," he said. "There is a real risk innocent people are going to get hurt." Shortly after midnight a junior, undercover police officer shot a 36-year-old Ararat man in the shoulder after he used his silver Toyota Corolla to ram two unmarked police cars the carpark of a Tullamarine McDonald's. Then, at 2.30am, a 25-year-old Melton man was hospitalised with a gunshot wound to his back after making his way to an Oldershaw Road home.