Two boys, aged 12 and 15, were fatally stabbed in Cobblebank, Melbourne, on Saturday night in an attack police describe as bearing 'the hallmarks of a youth gang crime'. Eight masked suspects armed with machetes and long-edged weapons are being sought.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks of Victoria Police said the attackers, believed to be older than the victims, covered their faces with masks. The 15-year-old victim was identified as Dau Akueng. Police are investigating whether the attack was targeted or a case of mistaken identity, noting the 12-year-old was unlikely to be a gang member due to his age.
The boys were attacked while walking home from a local basketball game, according to Elbino Akueng, the father of the 15-year-old. He expressed frustration at the lack of police answers, stating the community had buried four children in the past month. Friend Aboil Alor called for justice, saying the boys did not deserve to die.
Banks vowed to 'throw every resource' into the investigation, aiming for arrests in the coming days. He criticised current youth crime penalties as insufficient, urging the state government to increase sentences. The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, said 'two more Victorians were tragically added to that tally' of crime victims.
