Police are investigating whether the fatal machete attack that killed two Melbourne boys, aged 12 and 15, in Cobblebank over the weekend was triggered by an online meme.
Three sources who spoke to The Age suggest the meme may be connected to last year’s stabbing death of a youth gang member, but police say the victims, Chol Achiek and Dau Akueng, had no involvement with gangs, and are treating the crime as mistaken identity within the context of youth gang activity.
Dau’s father, Elbino Akueng, pleaded for answers as he mourned his only son. “He is a basketball player, not a criminal,” Akueng said per 9News, highlighting that “four kids in similar incidents” had been lost in the community this month.
Speaking at the scene, he said, “In the last month, we have buried four kids, similar incidents keep happening, but there’s no answer from police.”
Family and friends called for more protection and action from authorities as the tragedy reverberated throughout local basketball clubs and the South Sudanese community.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks described the crime as “one of the most horrific in a growing list of crimes of this nature”, stating, “the children who were murdered were not gang members, and it’s not ok to remain silent”.
He said that the attackers were “a large group of male offenders… masked and armed with long-edged weapons”, and confirmed that investigations are ongoing as officers search for up to eight suspects.
Federal MP Sam Rae labelled the killings a “heinous crime”, promising support to the families and urging swift justice.
“We’ve lost two children from our community overnight. My job is to support the family, support the community and to support the police to bring justice for these kids,” he told Sky News.
With Victoria’s machete ban only weeks old, the incident is again fuelling calls for tougher laws and more meaningful engagement with at-risk youth.
Local leaders say young people need pathways away from violence, as grieving families demand concrete solutions and the wider community remains shaken by the tragedy.
Lead image: 9News
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