BLOOD IN THE STREETS: Horror in Melbourne Suburb as Two Young Boys Stabbed to Death in Suspected Gang Attack
- Chilling CCTV footage shows moment 12-year-old boy was chased and stabbed to death by masked gang in Cobblebank, near Melton
- Just hours later, 15-year-old Dau Akueng was found dead at nearby address, with one of the boys having their hand cut off in brutal ambush
- Police hunting for up to eight masked offenders, with Detective Inspector Graham Banks branding it “one of the most horrific crimes” in recent memory
Two young boys have been brutally stabbed to death in a suspected gang attack in a Melbourne suburb, with chilling CCTV footage capturing the moment a 12-year-old was chased and killed by a group of masked men.
The horrific incident unfolded in Cobblebank, near Melton, on Saturday night, when Dau Akueng, 15, and his friend Chol, 12, were walking home from a basketball game. They were ambushed by a group of up to eight masked people wielding machetes and long-edged weapons.
The CCTV footage shows three males following the young boy before chasing him through the street. One of the males had a machete in his hand and lunged at the boy with it while chasing him. The child screamed as he fell to the ground, causing the group to flee the scene.
Just hours later, police were called to a nearby address on Cobble St, where Dau Akueng was found dead. It’s understood one of the boys had their hand cut off in the ambush.
Clarissa Dunn, a local resident, heard screams from her home before discovering the 12-year-old boy lying on the street. In the CCTV footage, she uses a torch on her phone to shine a light on the boy before waving down a passing car for assistance.
Speaking to media, Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the fatal stabbing had the “hallmarks of a youth gang crime”, though it may have been a case of mistaken identity. He urged anyone with information to come forward, saying “the children who were murdered were not gang members, and it is not OK to remain silent.”
Elbino Akueng, Dau’s father, said his son was walking home from a basketball match with his friends when the attack occurred. The security guard, who works hard to protect the community, claimed there was nothing in place to protect his family. “I protect the community, but no one protects my family at home,” he told reporters.
Aboil Alor, whose son played basketball with Dau, said the teenager was a “really good child who deserved a long life”. She urged for more to be done about knife crime, saying “we’re here for a better life, not to bury our children.”
Online, friends and family shared tributes to the slain boys, describing them as “much-loved” members of the community. The basketball club where Dau played said he was a “force to be reckoned with” and had a “deep love for basketball”. Chol was described as “new to basketball this season” and “undoubtedly had a bright future ahead for basketball and will be greatly missed”.