A primary school and a kindergarten in one of Melbourne's most affluent suburbs were forced into a precautionary lockdown on Wednesday afternoon following alarming reports of youths possibly armed with machetes.
Police Response and Arrest
Authorities were called to the Brighton area, located approximately 11km south-east of Melbourne's CBD, after receiving calls about two males potentially carrying large knives. Police attended the scene and located two youths on the corner of Martin and Cochrane Streets, just a short distance from Elsternwick Primary School, at around 2pm.
While one of the teenagers was arrested for possessing a baton and a drug of dependence, a police spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail that no machetes were found. The arrested youth is currently being interviewed by officers.
Schools Take Precautionary Measures
In response to the potential threat, Elsternwick Primary School on Murphy Street was placed into a temporary lockdown as a safety precaution. Melbourne radio station 3AW also reported that the North Brighton Children's Centre enacted its own lockdown protocol.
'A primary school on Murphy Street Brighton was placed into lockdown temporarily as a precaution,' a police spokesperson stated, adding, 'It is not believed the youths entered the school grounds. We understand the school has re-opened.'
A Disturbing Pattern of Incidents
This unsettling event occurs just one week after Daily Mail reported a similar incident at Hampton East School, a specialist institution for students with disabilities. In that case, machete-wielding teens were reported outside the school, causing a lockdown on November 11.
Witnesses described seeing two men armed with machetes get out of a vehicle on Dane Road and chase two people down the street, with the victims fleeing into a nearby park. These back-to-back incidents have raised concerns about youth crime and public safety in Melbourne's typically leafy and peaceful eastern suburbs.
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
