Police in Victoria are urgently seeking information following a shooting in Wildwood that has prompted a major search across Melbourne’s northern outskirts.
The incident occurred at a residential property on Wildwood Road at approximately 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, after a 56-year-old man from Meadow Heights reportedly attended the address with two associates. Police said the man spoke with a 55-year-old Meadow Heights man and his female partner after arriving at the property.
An argument subsequently occurred between the group, and investigators allege that the man living at the Wildwood property shot the 56-year-old visitor.
Following the shooting, the two other men who had accompanied the victim reportedly fled the property and contacted emergency services. When local police arrived, neither the alleged offender nor the injured man was still at the address.
Investigators believe the alleged offender placed the victim in the back of a black Mitsubishi Triton ute and drove away from the property at approximately 7:35 p.m.
The vehicle was later captured on CCTV in the Greenvale area. Police said footage showed the ute at a BP service station at the intersection of Mickleham Road and Somerton Road at about 12:49 a.m., before it was seen again at a Liberty service station on Mickleham Road at approximately 12:55 a.m. The alleged offender was reportedly captured filling the vehicle with petrol.
However, the available CCTV footage did not show the victim in the back of the ute, leaving investigators uncertain about where he may currently be and whether he remains injured.
Police later arrested the alleged offender around 5:30 a.m. Thursday on Wildwood Road. He remains in custody and is expected to be interviewed by detectives as the investigation continues.
Authorities are now conducting an extensive search for the missing 56-year-old man. The Air Wing, Dog Squad and specialist police units have been deployed as investigators concentrate their efforts around Sunbury and surrounding areas.
Police are investigating several possibilities, including whether the victim managed to escape from the vehicle and could still be somewhere in the area suffering from injuries, or whether he was taken to another location and left there.
The investigation took another turn after emergency services received a triple-zero call about a suspicious fire on Lancefield Road at around 4 a.m. Burnt clothing was discovered at the location, and police believe the clothing may belong to the man who has been taken into custody.
Detectives are appealing to residents and motorists who were in Wildwood, Sunbury, Bulla, Oaklands Junction or Greenvale from approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night onward. Investigators are particularly interested in obtaining CCTV footage, dashcam recordings or other information that could help establish the movements of the victim and the Mitsubishi Triton.
The missing man is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance and was last known to be wearing dark clothing. Police have urged anyone who sees a person matching that description, particularly someone who appears injured, to contact emergency services immediately.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the victim’s condition or explained what prompted the confrontation that preceded the shooting. The circumstances remain under active investigation.
Anyone with information or relevant CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact triple zero (000) or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers Victoria.
The search remains ongoing as detectives work to locate the missing man and establish exactly what happened following the shooting at the Wildwood property.