Two boys were allegedly murdered just metres apart in Melbourne, leaving the community in shock and prompting urgent calls for change.
Chol Achiek, 12, and Dau Akeng, 15, were walking home on Saturday night after watching a basketball game when they were ambushed by up to eight masked males armed with machetes and other weapons.
Another boy with them managed to escape the attack.
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Cobblebank on Tuesday night near the site of Chol’s death to remember the boys and support their families.
Chol’s father, Chuti Ngong, spoke about the pain his family is feeling and urged the community to come together to stop more lives being lost.
“I lost a very important person in my life,” he said.
“We are all human beings … We all have blood. We all have pain. Let’s take care of one another.”
Mourners lit candles, held hands, and stood in silence in honour of the boys.
“We want to put support to the families, it’s heartbreaking,” one speaker said at the vigil.
“The whole world is crying with us. There (should) be no revenge. Chol and Dau would not be happy.”
Melton City councillor Phillip Zada praised the strength of the families, saying their message of love and forgiveness was powerful.
“We cannot let the deaths of these boys, or others so senselessly taken, mean nothing. Their memory must drive us to build a safer, kinder community,” the councillor said.
“Now is not the time for politics or point scoring. It is a time for love, unity, and real solutions that bring people together and keep our children and community safe.”
Victoria Police believe the attacks were targeted but haven’t ruled out the possibility it was a case of mistaken identity, as neither Chol nor Dau were gang members.
Police are still searching for the attackers.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on Tuesday that she was heartbroken for the families, and that more must be done to combat youth crime.
There are growing calls for Victoria to adopt Jack’s Law, which allows police to use wands to check for weapons in public spaces. The law was introduced in Queensland after 17-year-old Jack Beasley was fatally stabbed in 2019, and has since been implemented in NSW as well.
While Allan did not confirm whether the law would be adopted in Victoria, she said she would seek further advice.
State Opposition Leader Brad Battin has been speaking to Jack Beasley’s father about possible reforms.
Youth crime in Victoria has risen 18 per cent over the past year – the highest since records began in 1993.
A statewide ban on machetes began on September 1, with new disposal bins set up at police stations to encourage people to hand them in.
Federal Labor MP Josh Burns said on Wednesday that banning machetes was an important first step in making the streets safer.
Images: Nine/ Today Show
