MỘT CHỦ SHOP NGƯỜI VIỆT Ở SUNSHINE VICTORIA BỊ NHÓM THIẾU NIÊN TRỘM CẮP HÀNH HUNG TỬ THƯƠNG./- Mt68

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Hong Hung Asian Grocery owner Van Viet Truong has died as a result of injuries he suffered on Saturday.

A grocery store owner from Melbourne's west has died days after allegedly being bashed by a group of teenagers.

Van Viet Truong, 60, was hailed as a hero after police said he came to the aid of a fellow retail worker in Sunshine after five youths tried to rob a store near his own shop on Saturday afternoon.

Victoria Police confirmed this morning that Mr Truong died of his injuries.

Two boys, 12 and 15, and two girls, both 14, have been charged with affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing serious injury and intentionally causing injury.

The 15-year-old boy has also been charged with manslaughter.

A 13-year-old boy also charged along with the group has since had his charges withdrawn.

Relatives of Mr Truong rushed from Vietnam to be by his bedside this week.

Those close to him described him as "a very friendly and lovely man" and a "hero" who always offered his customers great service in his store.

Mr Truong ran the Hong Hung Asian Grocery for almost 30 years with his wife, but the store has remained closed since the weekend.

Van Viet Truong (fourth from right) joined other local business leaders in meeting Labor MP Sarah Connolly (centre) last month. (Supplied)

Active in the local business community, Mr Truong had just days ago met with fellow business owners and local Labor MP Sarah Connolly to launch a local business mentoring program.

It is understood Mr Truong had plans to retire in the near future, listing the grocery for sale last year.

Ms Connolly joined Premier Ben Carroll, Police Minister Paul Edbrooke and Small and Family Business Minister Natalie Suleyman in laying a wreath for Mr Truong.

"He often talked to me about his children, and how proud he was of them," she said.

"I am absolutely heartbroken about what's happened and the immense shock and grief that Viet's wife Lien and their children are experiencing right now."

Community members have laid flowers outside Van Viet Truong's store in Sunshine. (ABC News)

Ms Connolly added that she and the ministers met again with local traders to discuss what had happened to Mr Truong.

"This was an emotional meeting, as the grief is overwhelming for my local community right now," she said.

"Sunshine is one of the biggest and best food meccas in Melbourne, where East meets West, and Victoria is the richer for it.

"It's the hardworking, family-run businesses that continue to make Sunshine a destination worth visiting."

Natalie Suleyman, Paul Edbrooke, Ben Carroll and Sarah Connolly laid a wreath for Van Viet Truong in Sunshine. (ABC News)

Mr Carroll described Mr Truong as a community hero.

"Lives have been ruined — the victim's life, his family, everyone is grieving," he said. 

He said he had promised the traders more police would be put on patrol in the local area,.

He also vowed to improve the design of Hampshire Road to make people feel safer, and to get more language translators and welfare support working with police.

Premier Ben Carroll encouraged Victorians to support the Sunshine community. (ABC News)

The local council has described Mr Truong's death as a tragedy and said it would lower its flags to half-mast today as a mark of respect.

"This attack and Viet's passing has devastated the entire Brimbank community," the council said in a statement.

"Viet was a pillar of our community, well known by all for being a generous supporter, a helping hand and a kind friend to his fellow traders, neighbours and customers."

Western suburbs leaders call for more action on crime

The assault prompted an outcry from traders and community leaders for police to do more to keep locals safe.

That included five western suburbs mayors who banded together to call for police stations to extend their opening times amid rolling closures and reduced hours intended to put frontline police out on patrol.

Maribyrnong mayor Mohamed Semra is one of the leaders calling for more resources to tackle crime in Melbourne's west.

Cr Semra said he had his own shocking experience yesterday, after being threatened with a knife in Footscray's Nicholson Street Mall as he went to consult with local traders.

He said the area needed more police resourcing to ensure safety.

"If you take Footscray police station for example, it is open three afternoons a week," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"A lot of calls that community and traders are making are not being responded to, simply because of the lack of resources."

Maribyrnong mayor Mohamed Semra said he experienced violent crime in Melbourne's western suburbs firsthand yesterday. (Australian Story: Andy Ware)

Sunshine Business Association president Vu Du said crime had been rising in the area since the end of the COVID pandemic.

Mr Du met with Chief Commissioner Mike Bush yesterday along with dozens of local traders to discuss crime in Melbourne's western suburbs.

He said while police would sometimes conduct walks with local government representatives to identify problem areas, the walks "don't really do very much".

"What occurs is, when there is an incident, we will see a few more police patrols, but it's only for a very short time, and then it stops," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.

Mr Du said the rising crime was hitting business owners hard.

"The economy is already at a slowdown, and when you add in vandalism and theft, it's certainly not helping the cause at all," he said.

'Status of the case'

Victoria Police Acting Commander for the north-west metro region, Troy Papworth, said Mr Truong's death was a "terrible tragedy".

He said it was likely charges related to the incident would be upgraded because the "status of the case" had changed. 

"We can't talk too much about that at the moment because it is an ongoing investigation," he said.

"We're committed to working with the community out there in Sunshine, and we've got extra patrols out there in Hampshire Road at the moment, working with the community and traders."