Two boys were fatally stabbed in a violent machete attack in Cobblebank, Melbourne, just before 8 p.m. on Saturday in an incident police say may have been sparked by a widely shared meme.
Emergency services were called to Marble Drive, about 33 kilometres west of the central business district, after witnesses reported a violent assault. Paramedics found 12-year-old Chol Achiek with critical stab wounds; he died at the scene. A short time later, police responded to a second call less than 200 metres away where 15-year-old Dau Akueng was found seriously injured and also died at the scene.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks said investigators believe the victims were set upon by up to eight people wearing masks and armed with machetes and long-bladed knives. CCTV footage recovered from the area shows a group armed with large blades, he said, and detectives are examining reports of a black SUV seen near the scene around the time of the stabbings.
Three sources told The Age that the attack was allegedly prompted by a meme referencing the stabbing death of a young gang member late last year. Police said the meme had been widely shared among youth groups, but added that the two boys killed were not believed to be members of a gang nor connected to the earlier killing referenced in the image.
Authorities said the offenders are understood to be part of a youth gang previously involved in a machete brawl at Northland Shopping Centre in May and a series of violent home invasions. No arrests were announced as of Monday, and detectives continue to work through CCTV and witness statements.
Relatives of the victims attended the scene on Sunday. Chol’s father, Chuti Ngong, described his son as “an intelligent, funny, peaceful boy” and said the family had left conflict abroad hoping for a safer life in Australia. “We came here, from war, for our children to have a better life,” he said. “Now you regret coming. Children are the root of the tree. Without them, your life is uprooted.”
Dau’s father, Elbino Akueng, a security guard, appealed for justice and urged authorities to act. “My son is a basketball player, not a criminal,” he said, adding that in the past month four children had been killed in similar incidents and families were awaiting answers.
Det. Insp. Banks criticised what he described as a mismatch between community expectations and penalties for youth offenders, saying the current sentencing framework did not adequately reflect the severity of such crimes. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush backed Banks’ comments in an internal memo to officers, saying there must be consequences for crimes that “drive fear in our community,” while noting police respect the independence of the courts.
Victoria Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers and urged members of the public to provide footage or other material that could assist the investigation. Detectives continue to search for the assailants and to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killings.