16-year-old boy stabbed to death in shopping centre in western Melbourne

A teenager was stabbed to death in front of customers in the food court of a shopping centre in western Melbourne during the school holidays.

According to police, a fight broke out between two teenagers outside the Woodgrove Shopping Centre in Melton West at 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday.

“The argument began as a verbal altercation and then turned physical,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel L'Estrange of the Homicide Squad.

“One of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed the other several times.”

A passerby tried to resuscitate the 16-year-old victim, but he died at the scene of the accident.

“His mother is with us right now,” said Senior Sergeant L'Estrange.

He said the boy's mother dropped her son off at the mall early that morning.

“This is an absolutely tragic and senseless act that has happened here during the school holidays, in an area where many children go to school and many people are out and about,” he said.

“Another young boy whose life is being destroyed for what he did.”

Sergeant L'Estrange said the stabbing occurred in front of numerous people eating in the catering area.

“As you can imagine, in a very public area like this during the school holidays, there were a number of witnesses.”

Police search for suspect

Police are searching for a 15-year-old boy who was known to the victim and fled the scene towards High Street.

According to the description, he was wearing dark clothing, headphones and shoulder-length, dark, curly hair.

The investigators also searched for the knife.

Sergeant L'Estrange said police were still investigating the cause of the fight, but he did not believe either of the boys had gang ties.

“This is something we place great importance on at Victoria Police.”

He announced that there would be increased police presence at the mall and more patrols in the coming days.

Investigators searched the center's video surveillance recordings.