A man has been shot in the stomach by a stranger who followed his daughter home in what police say was a random attack.
The 58-year-old man's daughter called him about 12.25am on Monday while driving to say she believed a man was following her, police said.
He told his daughter to return to their Cranbourne East home, in Melbourne's southeast, and he waited out front for her.
When she pulled up about five minutes later, a white station wagon also stopped in the street.
The concerned father approached the car and an altercation with the driver ensued.
The driver got out, pushed the man and shot him in the abdomen before fleeing the scene, police said.
The man's daughter called triple zero and the victim was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Detective Acting Superintendent Mick Daly said police were treating the shooting as a random attack.
There was no connection between the man or his daughter and the shooter, he said.
"When a man just comes out to protect his daughter - to be shot in the street is distressing," Det Daly told reporters on Monday.
Police will ramp up patrols in the area in the coming days.
Anyone with CCTV or information on the incident is asked to contact police.
