Bidong said he was with his brother before the shooting and had just left the nightclub when he received a call telling him to come back.

The shooter remains on the run. Police have yet to reveal anything about the suspect and no arrests have been made.

Ter Yoa, vice president of the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria, said community leaders would meet on Monday to discuss the tragedy, including how best to support the family and work with police to trace the Bidong attacker.

Yoa said allegations of potential retaliation were unfounded, had caused further distress to Bidong’s family and fueled fear within the South Sudanese community.

“So far, authorities and community leaders continue to investigate what happened and why it happened,” Yoa said.

“We want families to know that we stand firm with them. We also want people to give the authorities time to investigate those responsible for this tragedy.”

Yoa, a relative of Pal Bidong, said he was devastated by his death.

“It’s a shock for everyone, a terrible shock,” he said. “He was a very good young man.”

Yoa said the last time he saw Bidong was in late September, when they both attended the funeral of another murdered youth in Melbourne’s close-knit South Sudanese community: the talented basketball player Kioyom Athum.

Athum, 28, was fatally stabbed in a park a few hundred meters from his home early in the morning. He had no gang ties or criminal history, and is believed to have intervened to defuse the fight. No arrests have been made.

South Sudanese lawyer and community leader Bol Aweeng Machar Maduot also dismissed allegations of possible reprisals, calling Bidong’s death a “tragedy and an isolated incident.”

He said the South Sudanese community had been shaken by the violent deaths of Bidong and Athum within months of each other.

He said youth violence continued to be a problem among some pockets of young people in the community and leaders were determined to do everything they could to prevent it.

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“We really need to tackle this problem and look at all avenues to stop future tragedies, and that will be the basis of this meeting,” he said.

Camera footage taken after the shooting showed an explosive scene, with fights breaking out between people in the middle of the street.

Acting Detective Inspector Alan Rumble said patrons were heading home from the North Melbourne rave when Bidong’s body was discovered.

“The emotion was strong,” he said. “It’s a horrible incident – ​​it’s something none of us wanted to experience.”

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Bidong’s manager Iltaf Alessandro said the rapper was one of a kind, inspiring the younger generation to “pursue their dreams and achieve their goals” through his music.

The rapper appears in NSG’s new single, Spin the blockreleased less than nine hours before his death.

“(Bidong) cared about others more than himself,” Alessandro said. “He had a really good heart – I couldn’t tell you anything bad about the guy.

“He started taking it seriously about six or seven months ago – every day he was working with his family, or at a (concert) booking or an appearance. He was literally reserved to the core… This was about to start changing his life.

Police say there is no ongoing threat to the community. A Victoria Police spokesperson said Saturday’s events were “devastating for everyone involved”.

“These incidents affect the entire community and police are aware of the resulting tensions in the community,” the spokesperson said.

“The police are carrying out proactive reassurance activities.”

Anyone with footage or information about the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

With Ashleigh McMillan and Gemma Grant