Suspected gang members armed with machetes and knives are on the run after killing two young friends on suburban streets.
The boys, a 12-year-old and 15-year-old, were fatally attacked at Cobblebank on Saturday evening.
The 12-year-old was found on Marble Drive about 8pm, while a 15-year-old boy was discovered dead on nearby Cobble Street.
The pair, who were friends, were treated at the scene but could not be revived.
The 15-year-old victim has been named as Dau Akueng, whose father Elbino said his son and friends were attacked while walking home from a local basketball game.
The community had buried four children in the past month, Mr Akueng said.
“Similar incidents happening, there’s no answer from police,” he told reporters at the scene on Sunday morning.
An emotional Aboil Alor, a friend of the Akueng family, said the boys didn’t deserve to die.
“We needed justice especially for those children, 12 and 15 years old,” she said.
Witness reports and CCTV vision showed the killings were committed by a group of face-masked males armed with machetes and long blades, Detective Inspector Graham Banks said.
“Whilst the investigation is in its early stage, it has the hallmarks of a youth gang crime,” he said.
“It is one of the most horrific crimes in a substantial and growing list of crimes of this nature.
“The children who were murdered were not gang members and it is not okay to remain silent.”
Disturbing CCTV footage from the scene shows a group chasing down one of the boys before repeatedly striking him.
Police are working to identify the exact group of gang members involved in the attack.
Up to eight culprits fled the scene in a vehicle that is yet to be identified.
Officers believe the attacks were targeted but will probe if it was a case of mistaken identity.
Cobble St resident Christopher McFarlane heard a commotion outside his home just before 8pm.
In what he described as a traumatic scene, Mr McFarlane said the teenager’s hand had been severed.
He said the area was usually quiet, with a school located 100m down the road.
“I have lived in Melton for 28 years, and this area has always been really good,” Mr McFarlane told AAP.
“This is just a horrible thing to happen.”
Federal Labor MP Sam Rae, who represents the local seat of Hawke, said it had been a harrowing night for the community after a “heinous crime”.
“We’ve lost two children from our community overnight,” he told Sky News.
“My job is to support the family, support the community and to support the police to bring justice for these kids.”
More than 14,800 edged weapons were seized in the state last year, with police expecting to surpass that number in 2025.
Police were yet to get to the bottom of what is making young male offenders behave in such a violent and extreme manner, Det Insp Banks said.
There must be a “strong deterrent” for weapons-related violence, he added.
“As I stand here before you, I think the penalties aren’t in balance with what community expectations are or mine,” Det Insp Banks said.
