'Just shocking': Man on the run after two shot dead in Rye home
Police are searching for a suspected gunman after a 29-year-old man and a yet-to-be-identified woman were shot dead in a Mornington Peninsula suburb on Monday morning.
Police were called after an altercation broke out between a group of people at a house on Parson Street in Rye shortly after 4am.
When officers arrived, they found the man and woman with gunshot wounds. Emergency services tried to revive the pair, but they were declared dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives are asking for the public’s assistance to locate the alleged assailant and identify the female victim.
“The deceased male is believed to be a 29-year-old Rye man while the deceased woman is yet to be formally identified,” police said.
“While the exact circumstances of the incident are yet to be determined, it’s believed a man and a woman had attended the address and became involved in an altercation with the residents of the property.
Forensic officers at the scene on Monday. Credit: Jason South
“Homicide Squad detectives are keen to speak to anyone who may have information about the current whereabouts of the man or the identity of the woman involved.”
It is believed the parties were known to each other, police said.
Detectives will provide an update on their investigation at police headquarters on Monday afternoon.
A second man, who police are still trying to locate, fled the scene.
It’s also believed the 29-year-old man was the sole tenant of the home and had lived there for just under a year.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named due to privacy concerns, said they woke to the sound of people yelling – which they initially thought was schoolies celebrations – followed by the sound of two gunshots at 4.07am.
The neighbour heard a police helicopter flying over the property about 45 minutes after they heard the gunshots. About a dozen police cars had swarmed the street by 7am, the neighbour said.
Another neighbour said they heard a dog barking loudly around the time of the alleged shooting.
Police placed witches hats and crime scene markers on the road on Monday.Credit: Jason Southth
They said police spent most of the morning doorknocking the surrounding streets of the quiet coastal neighbourhood, a popular summer holiday destination.
“It’s just shocking,” the neighbour said of the shooting.
Forensic police were at the three-bedroom house on Monday afternoon. Police marked what appeared to be burnout marks on the gravel driveway and tyre marks on the street.
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
More to come
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