The attack occurred on Hampshire Road at Sunshine about 2pm on Sunday, when the man rushed to help a neighbouring shopkeeper after five teenagers allegedly attempted to steal items, including a pair of pants.
The 60-year-old, who has worked in the strip of shops for 20 years, was allegedly pushed to the ground during a scuffle, hitting his head. He was left fighting for life outside the premises and was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital by paramedics.
Five youths charged
Three boys aged 12, 13 and 15, along with two 14-year-old girls, were charged on Sunday with a series of assault-related offences. Four of the teens were arrested near the scene, while the 12-year-old was later arrested at his home.
All five have been charged with affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and intentionally causing serious injury. They were set to face court on Sunday.
Retail violence on the rise
The alleged attack comes amid a rise in violent incidents in shop settings. Retail violence is up 10.5 per cent in Victoria, following a 29 per cent spike to 7700 cases in 2025, according to data from retail crime intelligence platform Auror.
“Everyone’s scared, everyone’s frightened to come out on the streets, walk the streets alone, especially my staff,” restaurant owner and Sunshine Business Association board member Julie Tran told 7NEWS.
Premier vows tougher action
Premier Ben Carroll called for adult punishments for the group of youths and said he had told the chief commissioner he would have “every resource he needs” to tackle violent crime.
“This was terrible what occurred to this gentleman in a retail shop. There’s no tolerance for this sort of behaviour, it’s awful,” he said.
“[It has] lifetime consequences for [the victim], but also for the offenders. There’s going to be lifetime consequences for you, because your life is going to change when you face jail time.”
Days earlier, Carroll unveiled new retail worker protection laws that will grant courts the power to restrict access to workplaces for people who assault, intimidate or stalk workers. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson criticised the timeline, saying the scheme “won’t come into effect until the middle of next year” and that Labor is “not serious about cleaning up the crime crisis in this state.”
Community in shock
As local residents grapple with the incident, the victim’s shop has been closed, with a sign on the door reading: “The shop will be closed until further notice.”
