A MAN shot in Bendigo is facing a life spent on crutches or in a wheelchair, meaning he won't be able to play sport and may struggle to find work.

John* was the victim of a shooting in which the offenders appear to have mistaken him for another person. He has urged the those involved to turn themselves over to police.

John was shot at a house on York Street at about 1am on September 29, by unknown males who entered the house.

Read more: Armed Crime Squad appeals after man shot in Bendigo

Police believe the offenders were searching for another person altogether.

The "random attack" has severely damaged John's knee. He is expecting lifelong ramifications.

"I can't walk, I can't work now obviously. It's fully going to impact my life for the rest of my life and I really don't know what to do. It's extremely upsetting," he said.

"What do I do next? I was trying to get on with my life and now back to scratch one."

John said he was visiting a friend when "just random" things started happening.

He said he had done nothing wrong, but got assaulted.

"I ended up copping it. I was the one that got hurt the worst," he said.

"Basically it comes down to being literally wrong place at wrong time. I didn't do anything wrong. There's nothing that I've done, just one of those stupid things that happened."

John said he had no idea about the identity of the people who attacked him. Police said the offenders appeared to have entered the house through an unlocked door.

After entering the offenders had a confrontation with the occupants, police said.

John was struck on the head during this and shot to the knee, police said.

"I think they were looking for someone else. I don't know who, and I don't know who on earth these people were," John said.

"What was going through my head is, 'What the hell is going on? I've got no idea, I don't know what's going on'. Like just hoping everything is going to remain calm."

OTHER NEWS:

John said he was unsure what he would do next, with his badly injured knee. He said he would either need a wheelchair or crutches for the rest of his life.

John does not know how he will do any of the sport he enjoyed - outdoors, indoors, bush walking, fishing - or find a job.

He urged the offenders to turn themselves in to police, calling their attack "cowardly".

"I hadn't done anything wrong, I hadn't mouthed off at them. I hadn't attacked them or anything," he said.

"For them to then attack me for no obvious reason, then I think that's pretty stupid."

*Name has been changed at the victim's request

12pm:

A MAN who suffered life-changing injuries after a shooting in Bendigo appears to have been mistaken for another person by offenders.

The man was shot at a house on York Street at about 1am on September 29.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Hayward said the victim seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Read more: Armed Crime Squad appeal after man shot in Bendigo

He said the victim was at the York Street property after meeting friends randomly and going with them to the house.

At about 1am a number of offenders entered the house, where they had a confrontation with the occupants, Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said the offenders appeared to have entered by an unlocked door.

During the confrontation the victim was struck in the head with a firearm, then later shot in the leg, he said.

After the offenders left an ambulance was called, which took the victim to hospital in Melbourne, where he remains, Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said.

He said the only description police had of the offenders was that they were Caucasian males.

Police believed the offenders were looking for another person who they thought was associated with that address, he said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said police believed there may be an ongoing dispute between the people who entered the York Street house and the person they were looking for.

"The victim doesn't know the person that our offenders appear to be looking for," Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said.

"It appears that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The offenders were inside the address and they were clearly in there making enquiries about the location of another person."

Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said the victim's injuries were probably life changing.

"He's been in hospital for a significant period of time," he said.

"It's going to take a significant period of time to get over the injuries he sustained."

Detective Senior Sergeant Hayward said Armed Crime Squad was looking for any information that might help them progress the information.

He asked anyone who had seen anything suspicious, either before or after the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.

Crime Stoppers can be reached on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Earlier:

Police are investigating the shooting of a man at a property in central Bendigo.

The Armed Crime Squad said several people entered a property on York Street about 1am on September 29.

The victim was struck to the head and wounded in the leg.

He remains in a Melbourne hospital in a stable condition.

Detectives said the injured man was visiting the York Street address and does not live there.

"The incident is believed to have been targeted towards an associate of the occupants of the premises," Victoria Police said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.