FORMER BOXER DIES AFTER BEING SHOT IN AMBUSH NEAR PACKED MELBOURNE BAR
A former professional boxer has died after being shot in an apparent targeted ambush in Melbourne's inner north-west suburb of Ascot Vale, in the early hours of Sunday, June 21, 2026. Hussein "Huss" Dehaini, known in the ring by the nickname "Skinny," was gunned down as he walked toward his car on Mount Alexander Road shortly after midnight, in an area packed with bars, restaurants, and nightlife venues at the time of the attack.
According to Victoria Police and reporting from multiple Australian outlets, Dehaini — fatally wounded — managed to make his way roughly two streets away to North Street, where he collapsed outside a Woolworths loading dock. He was found there with gunshot wounds shortly after 12:15am by responding officers. Paramedics rushed him to hospital in critical condition, but he could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead from his injuries. He was in his 30s.
What HappenedLocal residents in the area reported hearing gunshots at around 12:10am. According to reporting citing the Herald Sun, the gunmen responsible are believed to have fled the scene in a sedan that made its getaway down North Street immediately after the shooting.
Victoria Police established multiple crime scenes across the area on Sunday morning as homicide detectives began their investigation. These included a scene outside a food truck park, a stretch of Mount Alexander Road between Warwick and Mascoma streets, and an area on Mascoma Street. Detectives from the Homicide Squad have been examining nearby parked cars and retail premises as part of the early phase of the investigation.
As of the time of reporting, no arrests had been made, and police are appealing to anyone with information — particularly witnesses who may have seen the vehicle involved or any part of the incident — to come forward through Crime Stoppers.
Who Was Hussein DehainiDehaini, from the multicultural Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows, had built a professional boxing career as a super-middleweight fighter, compiling a record of 10 wins, one draw, and three knockouts across bouts fought between 2014 and 2019. Fighting out of Broadmeadows, he appeared on cards at venues including the Melbourne Pavilion before his career became inactive following 2019.
After stepping away from professional boxing, multiple reports — citing underworld sources and outlet Outlaw Media — indicate Dehaini moved into Melbourne's informal enforcement and debt collection scene, reportedly working in this capacity alongside an associate identified as Kamil "Killer K" Yucel. It's worth noting that these specific details about his post-boxing activities are sourced to underworld contacts and specialist crime reporting rather than confirmed directly by Victoria Police, which has not publicly characterised the motive or background of the attack beyond describing it as a suspected targeted incident.
The Broader Context: Melbourne's Underworld TensionsThis shooting arrives amid a period of sustained and serious organised crime violence in Melbourne, much of it linked to conflict between rival Middle Eastern crime syndicates over control of the city's illegal tobacco trade. That conflict has, over the past couple of years, produced what reporting describes as hundreds of firebombings, murders, shootings, home invasions, kidnappings, and assaults across the city.
Melbourne's nightlife and hospitality sector specifically has also faced a separate, distinct pattern of targeted violence this year, attributed to an Iraqi-led gang reported to be known as "The Cartel." According to reporting, this group has targeted bars, nightclubs, restaurants, strip clubs, and brothels, citing what has been described as moral opposition to the industry, with members of African youth gangs reportedly among those recruited to carry out individual attacks.
Victoria Police data referenced in coverage of this incident shows a mixed recent trend: the state's overall crime rate fell by 1.9 percent over the twelve months to March 2026, but remains up 26 percent over the past three years — a statistic that reflects the broader, sustained rise in organised and violent crime that Victoria has experienced in the period leading up to this latest shooting.
It is important to be clear that, as of current reporting, Victoria Police has not confirmed any specific link between Dehaini's killing and either the tobacco trade conflict or the hospitality-targeting gang activity described above. The connection between this shooting and the broader underworld landscape is, at this stage, contextual rather than confirmed by investigators, and the true motive remains under active investigation.
What Happens NextVictoria Police's Homicide Squad has carriage of the investigation, and as of the latest reporting, detectives continue to process the multiple crime scenes established across Ascot Vale on Sunday. No arrests have been made, and the identity and whereabouts of the shooter or shooters remain unknown publicly. Anyone with information relevant to the incident, including dashcam or CCTV footage from the Mount Alexander Road and North Street area around midnight on Sunday, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Sources- 9 News Australia (YouTube) — "Former boxer killed in Melbourne shooting" (June 21, 2026) — youtube.com
- Noticer News — "Middle Eastern standover man ex-boxer shot dead in Melbourne" (June 21, 2026) — noticer.news
- Outlaw Media (via Media Cowboys Substack) — "EXCLUSIVE | Ascot Vale Shooting: Former Boxer Huss Dehaini Shot Dead in Apparent Retaliation Over Debt Collection Work" (June 21, 2026) — mediacowboys.substack.com
- MSN / Australian wire reporting — "Former boxer shot dead in suspected targeted attack" (June 21, 2026) — msn.com
- Australian Online News — "Former boxer Hussein Dehaini shot dead in suspected targeted attack" (June 21, 2026) — australianonlinenews.com.au
This is a developing story and an active police investigation. Details regarding motive, suspects, and the circumstances of the attack may change as Victoria Police releases further information. Some details regarding Hussein Dehaini's activities since retiring from boxing are sourced to underworld contacts cited by specialist crime reporting outlets and have not been independently confirmed by police.