Children and their parents look on in horror as a man is beaten to death with an axe in a ‘road rage attack’ near a primary school while he screamed ‘please stop’
- A 24-year-old man was chased by three men armed with an axe in Melbourne
- He was allegedly beaten to death with the axe and sticks about 6pm Thursday
- Three men were arrested shortly after and charged with one count of murder
- Detectives are asking drivers with dashcam footage to come forward
A man was allegedly beaten to death by three men armed with an axe and sticks as children and parents watched in horror.
Emergency services were called to Sunshine Avenue in St Albans, in north-west Melbourne, about 6pm on Thursday, following reports of a serious assault.
Witnesses told authorities the 24-year-old victim was allegedly being chased by three men who lunged at him and beat him to death.
Emergency services were called to Sunshine Avenue in St Albans, in north-west Melbourne, about 6pm on Thursday following reports of a serious assault
The 24-year-old victim was allegedly being chased by three men who lunged at him and beat him to death (scene of the alleged murder pictured)
The victim begged them to ‘please stop’ but the men allegedly proceeded to attack him with sticks and an axe.
Shocked parents from the nearby primary school and childcare centre rushed to help save the man, who was left to die in a pool of his blood.
Paramedics worked on the victim for 40 minutes but he died, 7News reported. He is yet to be formally identified.
Two men aged 22 and another man aged 20 were arrested a short time later and were each charged with one count of murder. They are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.
Investigators have linked the death to an alleged road rage assault and theft that occurred about 4pm Thursday, in Walters Street, St Albans.
CCTV shows several motorists and pedestrians drive past the murder scene. Police have asked them to come forward.
Emergency services were called following reports of a serious assault about 6pm on Thursday (crime scene pictured)
Three men were arrested a short time after the alleged murder. They were later charged (crime scene pictured)
Aysha Abdul-Wahed was on her way to pick up her two children from the nearby daycare centre when she heard people screaming and running around.
She spotted the victim running through traffic as three men chased after him.
‘We tried to help the man but we couldn’t. We shouted out to the men to stop but they didn’t. They were adamant to get at him,’ she told Herald Sun.
‘I would say they pummeled him 10 times. There was blood everywhere.
‘It was just horrible, it was still really light, there were parents all over the place, lots of traffic driving past, I couldn’t believe it.’
St Paul’s Keabla Catholic School informed parents of the fatality and told them the school would be closed on Friday as the investigation continues.
‘All staff are safe,’ principal Denis Daily wrote in the note.
‘As the site is still a major crime scene and likely to remain so throughout the night and into tomorrow (Friday) morning, there is no access to the school.
‘The Major Crimes Squad and the Homicide Division of Victoria Police have secured the site, with no access possible.
‘School will resume on Monday February 24 at the usual time of 8.50am.
‘We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and hope that you can understand that the matter is beyond our control.’
St Paul’s Keabla Catholic School informed parents of the fatality and that the school would be closed on Friday as the investigation continues