Residents were forced to evacuate the building in the early hours of Thursday.

Fatal shooting in Box Hill high-rise apartment

A man has been shot dead inside an apartment block in Melbourne’s inner east.

The high-rise building on Whitehorse Rd at Box Hill was evacuated as a fire alarm was triggered about 2am on Thursday, with residents gathering on the street below.

Victoria Police have confirmed that a man, who is yet to be formally identified, died inside the building.

They have not yet disclosed the cause of death, other than to say it was the result of an “altercation”.

Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the incident.

Residents were moved onto Whitehorse Rd as a fire alarm was triggered about 2am.Residents were moved onto Whitehorse Rd as a fire alarm was triggered about 2am. Credit: 7NEWS

Evacuated residents waited outside of the active crime scene throughout the early hours of the morning, before being let back inside the building.

One resident told Sunrise that police told her “the worst has happened, that it can’t get much worse.”

Other residents said they heard a man yell, and a single bang form the upper floors of the building.

Sunrise reports the shooting is believed to have occurred on the 11th floor.

Investigations into the death are ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.