Melbourne, April 17 (NationPress) Authorities in Melbourne, Australia, issued a caution to residents on Friday, urging vigilance against suspicious activities amid a series of arson incidents and a drive-by shooting that targeted local hospitality establishments.

The Victoria Police reported that their detectives from the arson and explosives squad are currently probing into the possible connections and underlying reasons for five arson attacks and a shooting incident at hospitality venues across metropolitan Melbourne since Tuesday.

Two of these arson incidents took place in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, while the remaining three affected venues located in the inner-southern suburbs, according to reports from Xinhua News Agency.

The shooting transpired at approximately 4:10 a.m. on Friday when a shot was fired from a vehicle towards a venue in the CBD. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.

Earlier, on April 1, a man was critically injured after being shot by police in Queensland. The Queensland Police Service (QPS) disclosed that officers were performing a welfare check at a property in Arana Hills, located 12 km northwest of central Brisbane, when an altercation occurred with a man wielding a knife.

Subsequently, the man was shot by the police, who administered first aid at the scene before he was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Local sources stated that the individual was 19 years old, and police used tasers twice before resorting to gunfire.

The QPS confirmed that the ethical standards and anti-corruption bodies would conduct an investigation into this incident.

In a separate case, police in New South Wales (NSW) launched a manhunt for an individual who shot another man and stole cash and a vehicle south of Sydney in March. The NSW Police Force stated that emergency services responded to reports of a shooting at a hotel in the coastal town of Narooma, located 280 km south of Sydney.

At the scene, officers learned that an unknown individual had entered the hotel, discharged a firearm at a 31-year-old man, threatened other patrons, and stolen cash.

The suspect then approached a vehicle in a nearby parking lot, brandished a firearm, and demanded that a 17-year-old driver exit the car, which he used to flee the scene.

The 31-year-old shooting victim received treatment at the scene from ambulance personnel before being taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Shortly thereafter, police found the stolen vehicle ablaze on a major highway. An investigation into the incident is underway, and authorities are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.