Victoria police identified a 15-year-old boy as one of two youths fatally stabbed in what investigators have described as a suspected targeted attack in the Melbourne suburb of Cobblebank on Saturday night.
Emergency services were called to Marble Drive, about 33 kilometres west of the central business district, just before 8 p.m. after reports of a seriously injured person. Paramedics found a 12-year-old boy with critical stab wounds; he died at the scene. A short time later, police attended a second call less than 200 metres away on Cobble Street where a 15-year-old, later identified as Dau Akueng, was found with serious injuries and also died at the scene.
CCTV footage that emerged after the incidents shows the two boys being pursued by three people armed with machetes and long-bladed knives, according to police and media reports. Authorities have described the attack as "targeted" as part of their ongoing inquiries.
Dau Akueng's father, Elbino Akueng, told reporters on Sunday that his son and the other boy had been walking home from a nearby basketball stadium where they had been playing. "He is a basketball player, not a criminal," Mr. Akueng said, urging authorities and the community to recognize his son's interests and to treat the deaths with the gravity they deserve.
Police have not publicly announced any arrests in connection with the double fatality. Detectives are reviewing CCTV, forensic evidence and witness accounts as they seek to establish the full sequence of events and identify the people shown on the footage.
The two deaths have prompted concern in the local community, where residents and family members gathered near the scene in the hours after the killings. Local authorities have said there will be increased patrols as investigators continue their work and as families mourn.
Cobblebank is a growing outer suburb west of Melbourne's CBD. Fatal stabbings involving youths have drawn heightened attention from public officials and community groups in recent years, prompting calls for stronger youth services and violence prevention measures. Police appeals in this case have sought anyone with dashcam or mobile phone footage, or who may have been in the area around Marble Drive and Cobble Street on Saturday evening, to come forward.
Further updates will be provided by Victoria Police as inquiries continue and as investigators attempt to locate and speak with potential witnesses and persons of interest.