Shots fired at three workmen at a Melbourne building site after they confronted a neighbour

Three workmen have told of the terrifying moment they were shot at after confronting a neighbour who they believed was stealing building materials.

Harley Ibbott, 26, Lachlan Murchie and Jesse Moffat-Perez, both 20, were attacked by a man at their construction site in Melbourne’s south-east on Thursday afternoon.

‘He pulled out a gun, took a shot at us (and) narrowly missed Lachie. We ran off scared for our safety and just got out of there,’ Mr Ibbott told the Today Show.

Victoria Police combing the scene after the three workmen were shot at on Thursday 

The workmen were working at a Westall Street property in Clayton South when the neighbour shot at them through a fence after days of disputes.

Mr Ibbott claims the alleged shooter, who is still on the run, had been stealing building material from the construction site and a major argument had broken out.

‘He’d actually been knocking stuff off the job, we suspect,’ Mr Ibbott said.

‘We had a bit of a verbal argument with his partner, I guess, on Monday morning. It was a heated argument and that’s when he came around… for retaliation.’

Bricklayer Harley Ibbott, 26, claims the alleged shooter had been stealing building material from the construction site and a major argument broke out when they were shot at

Mr Murchie said the three workmen had desperately tried to run to safety.

‘We saw the gun and then he has let off a fire and we backed off out of there and tried to get to safety. Then he went back inside and we didn’t see much of him since,’ he said.     

Victoria Police attended the crime scene before 4pm attempting to speak to the man they believed who was hiding in the property. 

However, when officers entered the property the man and weapon were missing. 

Police are still searching for the man and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.  

Mr Ibbott (pictured) said the man ‘pulled out a gun, took a shot at us’