Family members wail during emotional vigil for South Sudanese schoolboy, 17, killed in Melbourne

Harrowing moment grieving mother collapses to the ground and wails during vigil for her son, 17, who was killed in a Melbourne street brawl

  • Aguer Akech Lual, 17, died Sunday after a brawl broke out between two groups 
  • About 100 loved ones and community leaders attended a vigil for him on Friday 
  • Flowers and battery-operated candles were laid as his shattered mother howled
  • Community leader Richard Deng urged young people to ‘stay away from crime’
  • Ten people were arrested but later released with police yet to lay any charges 

Aguer Akech Lual had his young life cut short on Sunday leaving his family and Melbourne’s Sudanese community devastated

Devastated family members collapsed to the ground wailing as they laid flowers and battery-operated candles at a vigil for a South Sudanese boy killed last week.   

Aguer Akech Lual, 17, died early on Sunday after a brawl broke out between two groups near the Keilor Plains railway station at St Albans in Melbourne’s north-west.  

Around 100 family members, friends and South Sudanese leaders gathered on Friday at the Kegan Street site where Mr Laul took his final breath, ABC News reports.

Women propped Aguer’s mother Martha Mayola under their arms to walk her to the bed of tributes but as she put down a bouquet of flowers she buckled, howling in pain.

Community leader Richard Deng urged young people to listen to their elders and avoid crime, in a live video taken via Facebook of the ceremony.

‘What we are here for today is for us to show our love,’ he said.

‘It is important for us as a community to honour him as a good kid -a child that was taken in a way that they shouldn’t have been taken. 

‘So my call to all the young people is listen to your community, listen to your parents, listen to your mother, listen to the laws that are governing this country. 

‘Stay away from crime. Stay away from making a bad name for the young people and the community. 

‘What has occurred here is not right and should not happen again.’  

Mourners gathered to lay flowers and battery-operated candles on the site where the teenager died

Mourners gathered to lay flowers and battery-operated candles on the site where the teenager died 

Community leader Richard Deng (pictured) called upon young people to be law-abiding citizens

Community leader Richard Deng (pictured) called upon young people to be law-abiding citizens

Police said a dispute over a Holden Commodore is believed to have sparked the fight, which involved up to 30 young people – some armed with golf clubs, steel poles and a knife. 

Mr Lual was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. 

Victoria Police has launched a public appeal into the deadly fight involving up to 30 African males. 

Ten people were initially arrested but later released. No charges had been laid as of Friday morning.

The teenager had been living in Adelaide and was in Melbourne to surprise his mother for Christmas before heading to Uganda later this week to attend boarding school.  

About 100 family members, friends and community leaders attended the vigil on Friday in Melbourne's north-west

About 100 family members, friends and community leaders attended the vigil on Friday in Melbourne’s north-west

He was due to start year 12.  

Last week, Journalist Ajak Deng Chiengkou, who had known Mr Lual since birth, called upon the community to acknowledge the seriousness of youth gangs terrorising Melbourne’s streets.

‘With the death of Aguer, Laa Chol and many other young lives that have allegedly been lost in the hands of fellow South Sudanese, I hope the community will agree that there is a serious gang culture now in the community,’ he wrote on Facebook.

‘Still shocked but I am getting tired of seeing such young lives being lost because of violence and the rest are being lost by suicide.’ 

The South Sudanese community are in mourning following the death of the young teen (left)

The South Sudanese community are in mourning following the death of the young teen (left)

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