Seven teenagers have been detained in relation to the stabbing fatalities of 15-year-old Dau Akueng and 12-year-old Chol Achiek in the western region of Melbourne.
It has been confirmed by the police that a 19-year-old man from Thornhill Park, another 19-year-old from Caroline Springs, an 18-year-old from Wollert, along with three 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy, all residing in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, were apprehended on Friday following raids conducted by homicide squad detectives.
Currently, the seven teenagers are under police questioning.
On 6 September, Dau and Chol were making their way home from a basketball match when they were reportedly assaulted on separate streets in Cobblebank, a suburb in Melbourne’s west, by masked assailants wielding machetes and long-edged weapons.
At the time, Victoria police Detective Inspector Graham Banks stated that the incident bore “the hallmarks of youth gang crime,” though the victims were not members.
Following the deaths, there has been a “significant investigation” conducted by the homicide squad to “collect all available evidence,” according to the police statement on Friday.
Authorities have also increased patrols in Cobblebank as part of community reassurance measures and have held meetings with schools, council, and community leaders.
The investigation is still ongoing. Individuals with any information are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.
