Targeted shooting death of former boxer Hussein Dehaini in Melbourne
Consensus Summary
Hussein Dehaini, a 33-year-old former professional boxer with ties to Melbourne’s underworld, was fatally shot in Ascot Vale on June 22, 2026, around 12:15 AM. Police confirmed the attack was targeted, with Dehaini having a criminal history linked to extortion, illicit tobacco, and associations with outlaw motorcycle gangs and the Haddara crime family. Security camera footage captured the shooting near Mount Alexander Road, and a white Mercedes sedan was used by the suspect(s) to flee the scene, last seen heading toward Footscray. While both sources agree on the basic facts, The Age provides additional details about Dehaini’s recent legal troubles and a separate fatal incident in Geelong, while ABC emphasizes the release of CCTV footage and the pedestrian witness. Police are actively seeking information to identify suspects and the fleeing vehicle.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Hussein Dehaini, a former professional boxer (alias 'Skinny'), was shot dead in Ascot Vale, Melbourne, on June 22, 2026, around 12:15 AM.
- Dehaini was found with gunshot wounds on Mount Alexander Road, near North Street, Ascot Vale.
- Security camera footage recorded three loud bangs near the crime scene, with shots believed to have been fired on Mount Alexander Road.
- Police believe the shooting was a targeted attack, with intent to 'kill or seriously injure' Dehaini.
- Dehaini had a criminal history, including links to the Haddara crime family, extortion, illicit tobacco, and associations with outlaw motorcycle gangs (e.g., Finks gang).
- A white Mercedes sedan was used by the suspect(s) to flee the scene, last seen heading south on Smithfield Road toward Footscray.
- Dehaini was 33 years old at the time of his death.
- Police are seeking information from the public and have released CCTV footage of a pedestrian almost struck by the fleeing vehicle near Epsom Road and Racecourse Road.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Dehaini was arrested in 2023 by the police anti-bikie taskforce for possessing a firearm, dealing with proceeds of crime, and failing to provide mobile phone access in an extortion racket linked to the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang.
- Dehaini was listed to appear at a committal hearing next month at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in a separate case.
- A trail of blood led down North Street, where emergency services found Dehaini near a supermarket loading bay.
- A separate incident in Geelong on June 22 left another man dead in an altercation involving three men and two women in Alkira Avenue, Norlane, around 12:40 PM.
- An underworld source claimed Dehaini had made powerful enemies in recent months and that his death was expected ('I’m not surprised. It has been coming for a long time').
- Dehaini was once a super middleweight boxer from Broadmeadows with 10 recorded wins, last fighting in 2019.
- A black Ford Ranger ute was inspected by police on Mascoma Street near the crime scene and towed away.
- A barista named Ella, who lives nearby, heard two loud bangs just after midnight and later found her street cordoned off by police.
- Detective Inspector Dean Thomas, head of Victoria Police's homicide squad, confirmed Dehaini was struck in the lower body and died en route to hospital.
- Police are specifically seeking to identify a pedestrian almost struck by the Mercedes sedan near the roundabout at Epsom Road and Racecourse Road, treating him as a witness.
- Thomas stated that Dehaini was 'associated with a number of serious organised crime groups — outlaw motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime.'
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Age reports Dehaini was found near a supermarket loading bay on North Street, while ABC does not mention this specific location detail.
- The Age states three loud bangs were recorded on security camera footage, while ABC does not specify the number of shots heard but confirms shots were fired on Mount Alexander Road.
- The Age mentions a black Ford Ranger ute inspected by police on Mascoma Street, which is not referenced in ABC's report.
Source Articles
Former boxer shot dead in suspected targeted attack
Police were called to Ascot Vale shortly after midnight where they found former boxer Hussein Dehaini with gunshot wounds in a suspected targeted attack
Police release CCTV as part of probe into former boxer's death
Police are searching for a sedan they believe was used to get away from the scene of a fatal shooting in Melbourne's inner north-west.