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Holly Hales

Killers of dad-to-be on night of violence are 'cowards'

Melbourne carpenter Aaron Toth was shot dead on April 27 in what was a case of mistaken identity. (HANDOUT/VICTORIA POLICE)

The devastated parents of a man shot dead in a case of mistaken identity have lashed out at his killers, describing them as "cowards".

Aaron Toth was sprayed with bullets moments after he parked outside a friend's house in Hampton Park, in southeast Melbourne, at 12.24am on April 27.

The 30-year-old carpenter's death was the culmination of a wild night of violence across the suburb which involved criminals pursuing each other in stolen cars and numerous shots being fired, as well as cars set light.

Mr Toth was an innocent bystander caught up in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity.

He had been looking forward to becoming a father with his partner, who is expecting a girl in three weeks, his parents said.

"There's got to be somebody out there who knows something. He didn't deserve to die like this, nobody does," his mother Kim Toth said on Monday.

"It's just not fair, we need some answers."

In CCTV released by investigators, a stolen grey Ford Ranger is seen driving past Mr Toth's vehicle a minute after he arrived at Bride Avenue.

Several shots were fired from the Ford Ranger, killing Mr Toth.

Mrs Toth said those responsible for killing her son should be "locked away forever".

"They knew exactly what they were doing. They went there with intentions to kill somebody. Why would they be there in a car with a gun?" she said.

Detectives believe a shoot-out between people in stolen cars about three hours before Mr Toth's murder is connected.

Fresh CCTV released by the police shows a stolen black Audi Q7 SUV, a black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback and a white Toyota Camry sedan speeding along the Parkway in Hampton Park at 9.21pm.

The black Volkswagen then drove onto grassland and the sound of gunshots ring out before all three vehicles speed away from the area.

At 10.50pm, a stolen white Mitsubishi Outlander SUV was captured on CCTV chasing the stolen black Audi Q7 through nearby Andrew Street, David Street and Jeffrey Street.

The vehicles travelled at high speeds on Jeffrey Street and a person can be seen on CCTV leaning out of the passenger side window of the Outlander and firing a shot at the Audi Q7 in front of it.

The sound of 14 gunshots can be heard in total.

The Audi is then spotted pulling into a driveway at a home in Hampton Park an hour before Mr Toth is shot.

Two men get out, remove two jerry cans from the vehicle, pour the contents over the vehicle and set it alight.

They then fled in a dark sedan parked nearby.

One apparent connection between the murder and the shoot-outs is that the white Mitsubishi Outlander from earlier in the night is captured on CCTV travelling in convoy with the Ford Ranger two hours after Mr Toth's shooting.

The vehicles drove to Sweeney Reserve in Berwick at 2.27am where the Ranger is set alight and the Outlander flees the scene.

A 21-year-old Cranbourne North man was charged with murder in June, but police believe others may be involved.

Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said "there are others out there who were involved" as he called for those responsible for the violence to be held to account.

"A young man senselessly lost his life on this night," he said. 

"Aaron's family faces a lifetime of grieving, and his unborn child will grow up never having met their father."

Anyone with information is urged to call police.

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