Updated ,first published
A youth and a young man have been arrested after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death metres from a hospital in Melbourne’s north.
Mickleham teenager Darweish Mohamed was found with critical injuries outside Craigieburn Community Hospital about 7.50pm on Wednesday.
A hospital staff member performed CPR on the teen, but he died in a car park just off Lygon Drive.
A burnt-out car linked to the incident was later discovered in Oaklands Junction, just over 10 kilometres from where Darweish was found.
More than a dozen friends of the victim gathered at the Craigieburn scene in persistent rain on Thursday evening and confirmed his identity to The Age.
The boys created a makeshift memorial with photos, flowers and a teddy bear for their friend, who they said was a student at Mount Ridley College.
“He was a sweet guy,” said one boy, granted anonymity due to his age.
Police said they arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man in Pascoe Vale about nine hours after Darweish was found with stab wounds.
“They will be interviewed by homicide squad detectives,” the force said in a statement. “The investigation is continuing.”
The crime scene was cleared before 8am on Thursday as patients arrived at the Craigieburn Community Hospital in cold, windy weather.
Sand covered a small patch of bitumen at the entrance to the medical centre’s car park, where the slain boy was found.
Northern Health, which runs the hospital, confirmed a staff member found the teen bleeding.
“Our thoughts are with the young man’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We are also providing support to the staff members involved in this tragic event.”
One nearby resident, who did not want to be named, said a paramedic told her the staff member who tried to help the teen was distraught.
“She got blood on her… [she] was just screaming for hours,” the resident said.
“[It’s] not the first stabbing or fight there. It’s been going on for a while. It’s that bad at nighttime, I definitely won’t go there any more in the dark. Our community is scared of these kids.”
Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin released a statement on Thursday claiming the fatal stabbing was “another tragic consequence of Labor’s crime crisis”.
A spokesperson for the Education Department, meanwhile, said it was providing support for affected schools.
“The death of the young person in a violent incident last night will be extremely distressing for the local communities involved,” the spokesperson said.
Taha Khan, a nearby resident on Lygon Drive, wasn’t too concerned at first when he saw red-and-blue emergency lights on Wednesday night as he lives next door to an ambulance station and sees them often.
When police lingered, he thought there might have been a car accident, but later heard news of the stabbing.
“I feel pretty heartbroken for that,” he said. “These things are [getting] out of hand.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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Lachlan Abbott is a crime reporter at The Age. He was previously a city reporter and covered breaking news.Connect via email.
