Alleged former gangland boss Fadi Haddara is fighting for life after he was ambushed and shot in the driveway of his Altona North home.

Police believe Haddara, 48, was the victim of a targeted attack when he was shot in a parked car in his driveway on Marigold Avenue, near Millers Road, before 8pm on Sunday.

Detective Inspector Adam Tilley, from the Victoria Police armed crime squad, said a family member found Haddara after the shooting.

“Shortly after 7.45pm, a family member of the victim attended a residence where they located the 48-year-old victim lying in a pool of blood next to his BMW,” Tilley told reporters at a press conference.

He said Haddara sustained “a number of” gunshot wounds to the upper body, and was receiving treatment in hospital.

“We don’t have a suspect at this stage,” Tilley said. “We are going to keep an open mind. We’re going to review all the intelligence holdings that we have in relation to our victim. Everything is on the table, and everything will be fully explored.”

Neighbours, who did not want to be identified over fears of retaliation, said they heard multiple gunshots before 8pm. Police and paramedics were quickly on scene.

The neighbours said they heard yelling inside the home as detectives arrived. It is understood there were children in the home when Haddara was shot.

A friend of the family, who visited the scene on Monday morning, told reporters that Haddara was being treated in an intensive care unit after being shot in the face, stomach and chest. He said the bullets were yet to be removed.

Police said the alleged gangland boss had been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. He remains in a critical but stable condition.

Haddara, the alleged patriarch of the Haddara crime family, once held a commanding position over the illicit tobacco trade in Melbourne but was squeezed out by a new gangland boss, Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, in early 2024.

Tilley said there were now concerns about a “flow-on effect” that could occur following the targeted attack, but that the armed crime squad was working with taskforces that target illicit tobacco syndicates.

“Their intelligence holdings will be shared with us at the armed crime squad,” he said. “We’ve consulted with those agencies within Victoria Police, and we’ve consulted other agencies as well, law enforcement agencies.

“Ultimately, we’re worried about any flow-on effect that may occur and flow into the community, which is a concern to us.”

Despite his reputation, neighbours said Haddara was friendly, often waving to neighbours as he drove along the street.

In a statement through their family lawyer, Zarah Garde-Wilson, the Haddara family requested privacy.

“At this time, the family respectfully requests privacy as they focus on the wellbeing of their loved one. The family will not be providing comment at this time.”

The attempted hit came as a “shock”, underworld sources say.

Haddara was (dangerously, it turns out) a creature of habit, living and running many of his businesses in the same small pocket of Altona.

“It’s where he grew up. It’s all he knows,” a source said.

Last year, as his hospitality empire crumbled, Fadi started a paint wholesaling business that was registered to the same address as the family’s Altona gym.

On Monday morning, half of Marigold Avenue remained completely blocked off.

Police cars were seen parked outside the home and along the street.

The front lights at Haddara’s home were on, but police tape has blocked the driveway.

The Age has previously reported that the Haddaras surrendered their stake in the illicit tobacco smuggling and distribution market following a relentless firebombing and shooting campaign waged by Hamad in 2023-2024, including Fadi finding multiple GPS trackers on his car.

The attack on Fadi has been met with surprise in the underworld given the clan was largely sidelined following Hamad’s establishment of cartel-like control over the tobacco market.

Attempts by some criminal players to take advantage of Hamad’s arrest in Iraq in January have met with acts of serious retribution by Hamad’s gang, known as The Commission or the 313.

Four businesses and a home owned or linked to the crime gang led by Haddara were attacked in March of this year alone, including the torching of the Capriccio Gelateria in Williamstown and a drive-by shooting targeting a crowd of men standing outside an Altona North kebab shop in the heart of the gang’s territory.