Teenager killed, two injured in horror Kurunjang knife fight

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a young man was chased down and killed in a horror brawl near Melton.

An 18-year-old boy who had just graduated from high school has died after a horror knife fight involving 40 youths.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the deadly brawl in Kurunjang, north of Melton.

He will face a children’s court at a later date.

A 22-year-old Harkness man remains in hospital under police guard.

Konshu is the fourth teenager who has been stabbed to death in Victoria in the past two years.

Teenagers Pasawm Lyhym, Oscar Hamilton and Declan Cutler have also lost their lives.

In the hours after the stabbing, distraught teenagers were seen supporting each other at the crime scene while police gathered evidence and interviewed neighbours.

SES crews search the scene after the fatal brawl. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

Police probe the fatal stabbing. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Detectives on McBurnie Drive at Kurunjang. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

There have been at least six separate reported knife attacks involving teenagers in Melton alone this year.

Konshu, 18, was fatally stabbed by machete-wielding teens about 7pm on Friday.

When police arrived on scene, officers found Konshu and two other males injured on McBurnie Drive.

Emergency services tried to revive the teen but he was pronounced dead.

The two other males, a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and remain in hospital under police guard.

Friends and family pay their respects. Picture: David Crosling

Police believed the incident was targeted and those involved were known to each other.

North West Metro Region Acting Superintendent Kelly Walker said it was another tragic outcome involving teenagers armed with weapons.

“The community should definitely feel unrest,” she said.

Superintendent Walker said police could not say how the group of 40 youths were divided among each other.

Floral tributes at the site. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Family at the scene where the teen was killed. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

Friends and family grieve. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Through the sheer volume of people and the inquiries that are ongoing, we don’t have specifics of who these people are or any affiliations,” she said. “Initial inquiries are all with the investigators in relation to any affiliations.

“It wasn’t just a random attack. We’ve got large groups, we do have weapons that were reported at the scene, it does provide unrest for the community.”

It comes as dozens of devastated friends and family visited the scene on Saturday, pausing to pay their respects while laying flowers in the spot Konshu was killed.

Distraught friends and relatives lay flowers at the scene. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Distraught family members at the scene. Picture: David Crosling

A family member takes flowers to the site. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

Loved ones were seen crying, visibly upset at the loss of the young man.

Konshu’s distraught aunt said her nephew – the youngest of three boys – only recently graduated high school.

She said his family, who came from Burma, had lived in the quiet suburban street for years.

Neighbour Melissa Vines, who called the police when she found a teen involved hiding in her backyard, said fatal incidents involving youths were becoming more frequent in the Melton area.

Neighbours say the teen looked ‘really frightened’. Picture: David Crosling

Friends lay flowers in tribute. Picture: David Crosling

People on the street after the brawl in Melton. Picture: Ian Currie

The total number of criminal incidents in Melton increased by more than 22 per cent this year.

“It’s just awful, you keep hearing about all these stabbings happening and you just don’t want to live here any more. It’s a scary time,’ she said.

“I was just making dinner last night and saw some movement, but assumed it was the neighbours’ kids or something.

“When I saw (the teen) he went and hid in the corner of our backyard.

“He saw I was on the phone and asked if I called the police, I said yes I did and he kept saying thank you so much.

Police swarm the scene. Picture: Ian Currie

Investigators cordon off the street. Picture: Ian Currie

Police speak to neighbours. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Detectives remove bagged evidence. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“He said someone was chasing him with a knife, then later while we were waiting for the police to arrive he came up to the window and said a group of people had jumped out of a car with machetes chasing him and his friends.”

On Saturday morning, police trawled through front gardens searching for clues, while a local was seen hosing blood off his porch.

Glenn Vines, who lives next door to Konshu’s family, said it was shocking to see stabbings happen so close to home.

“Everyday you’re hearing of these things happening, I just wish something was done to try and stop this,” he said.