'Stop fantasising about the gang life': Family of a Sudanese youth who was 'shot dead by a childhood friend' pleads with teenagers to end violence on the streets of Melbourne
- Winis Apet, 20, was allegedly killed while leaving a Springvale shisha bar
- Friend, 19, charged with one count of murder and has been remanded in custody
- Mr Apet's cousin is calling on youths to end violence plaguing their community
- Alleged incident was Melbourne's fifth shooting death in the city within ten days
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The cousin of a South Sudanese young man who was allegedly shot dead by a childhood friend in Melbourne is pleading with youths to end the violence plaguing their community.
Winis Apet was fatally shot while leaving a shisha bar in a Springvale alley in the city's south-east just before midnight on Sunday.
The 20-year-old suffered a gunshot to the chest and died at the scene.
Witnesses claim Winis Apet, 20, (pictured) predicted his own death on Snapchat hours before he was allegedly shot dead by a childhood friend
It's alleged Paguir Pan was captured on CCTV walking along an alleyway behind the shisha cafe shortly before his friend Winis Apet was killed
Jacques Dhieu, 20, told Daily Mail Australia that his cousin was loved by everybody.
'He was a Family-oriented guy and was loved by everybody, he had an affectionate personality,' Mr Dhieu said.
Mr Dhieu was left heartbroken after learning that his cousin didn't make it home on Sunday, and has called on the youths to stop 'fantasising the gang life'.
'Isn't it sad that our parents fled wars to avoid death, only to bury their children in another land?' he wrote on Facebook.
'How many mothers have to keep losing their sons till we had enough? When are we youths going to wake up and stop fantasising the gang life.
'Really wish people would be better in this world, it doesn't take much. I don't wanna (sic) have to worry about my brothers #RIP.'
Jacques Dhieu (pictured), 20, told Daily Mail Australia that his cousin Winis, was loved by everybody.
Sunday night's incident was the fifth fatal shooting in Melbourne in ten days
Paguir Pan was arrested in relation to the shooting at a Dandenong home on Monday and was charged with one count of murder.
The 19-year-old was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court later that afternoon but refused to come to the dock to face the magistrate and made no application for bail.
His lawyer requested a custody nurse on his behalf.
Pan was remanded in custody to appear in court on Wednesday.
It's alleged Pan was captured on CCTV walking along an alleyway behind the shisha bar where Mr Apet was socialising with friends shortly before the alleged shooting.
It's understood he and Mr Apet grew up together and may have been feuding over a stolen car prior to the fatal shooting, Nine News reported.
Witnesses also claimed Mr Apet predicted his own death on Snapchat just hours before.
'The victim has been posting about all night, saying that he heard he was going to get shot at,' a woman claimed.
Winis Apet died in a Springvale alleyway (pictured) on Sunday after socialising with friends
Police Commander Tim Hansen said he understood why Melburnians may be worried following news of another shooting, but added 'Melbourne is a safe city'.
'Shooting crime is a horrendous crime and strikes at the heart of everything we feel comfortable and safe about,' he said.
'But I have absolute faith in the capabilities of investigators that we'll get to the bottom of this series of shootings relatively quickly.'
Detectives have previously highlighted commonalities among some of the shooting deaths, including that the victims had been attending pre-planned meetings which led to a 'fatal escalation'.
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