Full inside story of how Melbourne shopkeeper was allegedly killed by a child | Daily Mail

brave act of courage has ended in tragedy.A Melbourne shopkeeper who tried to stop an alleged robbery has died after suffering catastrophic head injuries in an alleged attack by children as young as 12.This is the tragic story of how the alleged events unfolded.Wayne Flower reporting here for the Daily Mail in a town called Sunshine.It's in the western suburbs of Melbourne and this week locals might suggest that the name should be retitled to darkness.There's good reason for that.

On the weekend a shopkeeper from the local grocery shop down here, a man called Van Viet Truong, was allegedly bashed by a group of teens.Now what had happened is that the fashion shop Just two doors down from his grocery shop was allegedly robbed by these youths.He has tried to do the right thing and intercepted them and sadly he has sustained some pretty catastrophic injuries.The police had said that he would not survive and sadly that is the case.Mr Trong has passed away from his injuries.Now we've come down here really just to try to get a feel for what is going on in this town.

Down here on the streets the people here have told us that Mr Truong's death was just, it was always going to happen.It's a ticking time bomb down here.There is a huge problem with crime.There has been for quite some time.And sadly, it has ended up now, allegedly, with this man being assaulted and passing away from his injuries three days later.Now a walk down the street we're on here, it is the main drag of Sunshine.

It is littered with little family businesses.They're all along here, hardworking people.family businesses and Mr Truong was like that too.The locals have told us that he worked there with his wife and his mother -in -law.They'd been there for 20 odd years.Really nice people.

And what he did on the weekend is just something that is really expected from traders in this area because they work hard for their money and they look after each other.And when someone was allegedly being robbed in a shoplifting incident, Mr. Truong felt obligated to go to their aid.Every little dollar counts when you're working these businesses.They're not making Huge money, so he did what he did and you might think in this day and age that just let him go I mean they're kids.You don't know these days.What's going to happen are people going to be armed with weapons?

Knives are they going to be with with other people you don't know you may have sat back that wasn't mr. Tron he Felt the need to do something and that's the kind of person he is and he's being remembered for the great individual that he is.Now there's an underlying problem here in Sunshine too if you go and talk to the local traders as we have done.

What happened was the area has been neglected for a while and gangsters collecting protection money.Yeah yeah yeah yeah and I have first handwith that.But when I filed a report with the police, nothing happened.And this is just the result of neglecting the small things.The small things become big things.

That's all.That's natural.

So the police have abandoned the community here?Yeah, yeah, yeah.

When there was... a bus in here, and I called the police.The police said that no, they won't come.The victim has to go to the police station.I can give you the date and the case number as well.Wow.And Mr. Chong here, you knew him?

Ah, the man who died?Yeah.Yeah, I know him.

What can you tell me about him?What sort of man was he?

He's just a hardworking man, that's all.

Yeah.He was a family business?

He's a family man.Yeah, yeah.That's his family business.

Yeah.And he obviously saw, knew that there was a lot of crime in this area?

They set up the search force, and then lately, in the last two years, there were a lot of crimes.Initially, about three or four years ago, when they first made the mall, the police was active.But after that, about two years ago, the police don't bother to come.And when people threaten to kill each other, if you call the police, the police say, no one has killed anyone yet.Why do you call us?Right, that's what they say.

And they have actually told me, only call the police when someone is bleeding or some property damage there.

I think, you know, like, we need more skilled, you know, like, skilled team, you know, or police.to help on sunshine more better make the people they're not scared they want to come more in a sunshine because i think sunshine the good area for the people they can become more convenient like go to the public transport you know that Please, the government help, yes, make the sunshine get more better and more police to come.And every day, you know, I saw on the street, the people yelling.And I think make the people scared to come to some side.

Are things getting worse?

I think worse, yes.

And do you feel let down by police, by the government, by the health system?

Yeah, the government need help.

Do you fear that more people will be hurt if something is not done?More people become victims of crime if you do not get help?

Police, they can walk around on this area, make the people more safety.

In the last few days, there has been a larger police presence.There has been TV cameras down here.What happened down here has become national news because it has been such an atrocious story.so yes they've seen police walking up and down the street but they say here that it is a bit of a ruse that the police haven't been here they're not present and they feel things are getting worse and worse so bad now in fact that some people down here have said that they are now being stood over by extortion rackets and they're getting more organized because they feel that they're entitled to do it and they're unstoppable and the police aren't going to do anything about it.This is what the people on the street are feeling.They're hurt.

They're worried.They're scared.They feel that nothing is going to change here and now, sadly, there has been more blood on the streets and they feel that there is nothing they can do about it.