The son of a man who allegedly killed his own daughter and her husband in a New Year’s Eve ambush has described his slain sister as ‘the diamond in our family’ who helped him escape his ‘darkest places’.
Arben Shaptafaj’s sister Lindita and her husband Veton Musai died in a hail of bullets on the verandah of their home in Yarraville in Melbourne’s inner-west on December 31.
Mrs Musai had been trying to start a new life away from her father Osman Shaptafaj, who was found not far from their home with gunshot wounds following the attack.
A witness said he had repeatedly shot himself in the head.
He survived, but remains critically ill in The Alfred hospital in Melbourne. His condition has now been classed as stable.
Daily Mail Australia has been told police are hopeful Shaptafaj will survive the self-inflicted wounds so that he can face murder charges.
The alleged shooter’s son Arben penned a touching tribute to the slain couple after their funeral this week.
‘My beautiful, loving, caring, sweet, kind and angelic sister. You were the diamond in our family, our princess,’ he said.
Lindita Musai, Veton Musai and Arben Shaptafaj (pictured L-R). Arben posted a heartfelt tribute to the slain couple on Facebook, who he said were ‘the two most important people in my life’
Ms Musai’s father Osman Shaptafaj (pictured) is accused of shooting the couple, before turning the gun on himself
‘You brought me out of the darkest places with just your smile and we were always on each other’s side no matter what. We always said it was us against the world no matter what.’
Arben added that he would ‘take care’ of the siblings mother.
He described his sister’s husband as his ‘best friend… golden brother’.
‘You were always the brother I never had and showed me how to breathe through the tough times in my life,’ he said.
‘Always using your crazy sense of humour to be the centre of attention. You taught me to never give a damn what people think of you as long as you were happy.’
He urged his family and friends to remember the couple for their life, rather than their tragic death.
‘Please remember Veton and Lindita for who they were, their love, their passion and their otherworldly presence, because to remember them for what happened is an injustice to love itself,’ he said.
Arben Shaptafaj described his slain sister as ‘the diamond in our family’ who ‘brought him out of the darkest places.’ Pictured L-R Lindita Musai, Veton Musai and Arben Shaptafaj
The couple married about a year ago but were dating for at least five years
Shaptafaj, 55, lived just 5km from the couple, but was estranged from his daughter and her mother.
The couple were found on the front porch of their house with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.
They reportedly had other guests at their home when the shooting unfolded.
Osman was found soon after the attack a block away with gunshot wounds to his head.
A witness told Channel 7 he had seen a man come out of a bush and shoot himself, fall to the ground, then get up again and shoot himself again.
Osman Shaptafaj in a post from Facebook. He is said to have been estranged from his family when he is accused of gunning down his own daughter and her husband
Mr Shaptafaj was rushed to hospital after allegedly shooting himself twice
A gun was found at the end of the street on public land.
Investigators are trying to piece together what drove the man to allegedly open fire.
A family member, who wished to remain anonymous, said Mrs Musai had endured a ‘difficult’ upbringing.
He claimed Mrs Masai’s mother had separated from her father about eight years ago after spending time in hospital.
‘I’ll just say it was nothing to do with his background or his beliefs, as he has no beliefs,’ the man said.
The devastated family member spoke out amid speculation about why the couple may have been killed.
‘It’s really making me sick … to be honest with you. Lindita and Veton were perfect, absolutely perfect,’ he said.
Lindita and Veton Musai (pictured at their wedding) were found on the front porch of their house with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies
Mrs Musai was employed as a receptionist for real estate firm Colliers International in Melbourne’s CBD while her husband worked at a nearby bank
The relative said Lindita’s mother had done her best to live in the unhappy household, but found the courage to leave after a stint in hospital.
‘She was trying to keep the peace, to the point of leaving him, the house, the car and money not to put (him) on edge,’ he said.
Friends and family of the pair were on Tuesday seen in tears on the suburban street as they comforted each other.
Mr Musai’s cousin shared his grief on Facebook after the 29-year-old died in hospital.
‘I don’t know how to put the words together.. Allah knows best why things happen the way they do,’ he started, before adding he ‘can’t even begin to explain’ how he’s feeling.
‘The only thing keeping us strong is belief in God.
‘May Allah bring the two gorgeous souls together again in Jannah.’
Lindita (pictured with her husband) had been trying to start a new life away from her estranged father before the attack
The Albanian Australian Islamic Society mosque in Carlton North on Saturday. Thousands lined the street to pay their respects to the couple
Hundreds of mourners gathered to farewell the couple at the Albanian Australian Islamic Society mosque in Carlton North on Saturday.
They packed the mosque to pray and to listen to short eulogies given during the hour-long service.
About three thousand more stood outside the mosque on the street to pay their respects.
The young couple had only been married a year, but had been a couple for at least five. Friends described their wedding as one of the ‘best they’d ever been to’.
‘Such a lovely couple, such a lovely family… One of the best weddings I’ve been to in Australia,’ a friend of the family wrote on Facebook.
Mrs Musai was employed as a receptionist for real estate firm Colliers International in Melbourne’s CBD while her husband worked at a nearby bank.