Two boys aged 12 and 15 have died after being stabbed in a suspected gang attack in Cobblebank, near Melton in Melbourne’s west.
Victoria Police said Homicide Squad detectives are investigating after the pair were killed just before 8pm on Saturday.
Emergency services were called to Marble Drive where they found the 12-year-old with critical injuries and gave him CPR, but he died at the scene.
The 15-year-old was then found seriously injured on nearby Cobble Street, and was treated by paramedics but also died at the scene.
Police said they believe the incidents are connected and part of a “targeted attack”.
A local resident said one of the victims was African and had his hand cut off with a machete, while another said they saw one of the victims being chased down the street by a large group.
A third person said police were taking photos of a machete found on a front lawn, and multiple locals reported being told by police they could not enter their streets.
Victorian Opposition leader Brad Battin, a former police officer, said the state was in the midst of a crime crisis the Labor government was unable to deal with.
“Last night we saw the tragic outcome of the crime crisis in Victoria,” he said.
“The crime crisis is costing lives, and no media release from Labor will fix the problem. Only the Liberal and Nationals will deliver the changes to make you, your community and your children safer.
“Too many Victorians have been victims of crime. Last night, two more Victorians were tragically added to that tally.
“When we talk about the crime crisis, we can never lose sight of its human cost. These are not just statistics, they represent lives lost, families shattered, and communities forever changed.”
Header image: The Marble Drive crime scene.
