1 dead, 3 wanted after shooting in Australia's Melbourne

SYDNEY, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The police force in the Australian state of Victoria has launched an investigation over a fatal shooting that occurred on Sunday and killed one male passenger in a car with three still on the run and wanted by local authorities.

According to a statement released on Monday, emergency services were called to Vaucluse Boulevard in Melbourne's west at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.

A man was located in a black BMW sedan with critical gunshot injuries. Paramedics treated the man at the scene but were unable to save him.

Detectives were told that the BMW has been following a second vehicle, a white Mitsubishi sedan, through the Taylors Hill area in the lead-up to the shooting.

After the Mitsubishi crashed into bollards blocking vehicle access between Grange Terrace and Johnston Way, a man got out of the Mitsubishi and confronted the male driver and male passenger in the BMW, before firing a shot into the car.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Detective Acting Inspector Nigel L'Estrange from Victoria Police Homicide Squad told reporters that it's quite early in the investigation and the motive remains unclear.

But he stressed that there is a connection between the two cars and the people on board and the incident is not a random attack.

"We believe there were two occupants in each of the vehicles and those vehicles were involved in a pursuit with the black BMW pursuing the white Lancer ... the driver of the white Lancer has got out of the vehicle with a firearm and has fired a shot through the front windscreen of the black BMW," said L'Estrange.

The inspector noted that after the shooting, two occupants of the white Lancer left on foot, while the black BMW took off and ran to Vaucluse Boulevard, where its driver called Triple Zero, stating that a male had been shot, and then left the scene.

"We have a number of strong leads in relation to these males. That's why we're confident we will identify who they are," L'Estrange added, urging them to get on the front foot, contact with police and hand themselves in.