Teen fatally stabbed in 'shocking' attack at Melbourne stadium identified
The teenage boy killed in an alleged stabbing has been identified as "a nice guy" who was "just chilling and joking around" before his death.
The 17-year-old reportedly stabbed in front of horrified onlookers at a junior basketball competition in Werribee, in Melbourne's southwest, has been identified as Bless Mulukwat Akoch by the Herald Sun.
Emergency services were called to Eagle Stadium about 5.50pm Friday with Bless, from Wyndham Vale, taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and later dying.
Friends have since shared tributes for the young man, who died just shy of his 18th birthday, according to a GoFunMe page established in the wake of his death.
“He was a nice guy; of course there’s people who didn’t like him, or he didn’t like, but we didn’t think it’d get to this extent where someone’s life would be taken,” one friend Jonathan Bonsang said, according to the Melbourne newspaper.
Another friend, Epz Solomona, said he saw Bless "almost every day" and they had all been "just chilling and joking around" hours before he died.
“He’s not a bad kid, we joke around, that’s all we did,” Mr Solomona told the Herald Sun.
Bless was a Year 12 student at Good News Lutheran College and "was a diligent young man, who took pride in his education and was determined to graduate", his GoFundMe page said.
"It is highly unfortunate that he was taken away from this world so soon, as he was barely able to celebrate his 18th birthday."
Another boy, aged 15, is assisting police with their inquiries and has been released without charge.
Wyndham Basketball on Friday night tweeted the junior basketball league games had been cancelled because of a serious incident.
Spectators have reported seeing a male running with a knife in his hands.
A woman whose daughter was playing basketball at the time told News Corp the incident was "shocking".
"My friend saw someone on the floor in the corridor just after he had been stabbed," she said.
"These were under-8 games and it's lucky nothing more serious happened.
"It's really concerning that you can't even feel safe to take your kids to a junior basketball game."
With AAP
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