15-Year-Old Charged With Murder At Melbourne Shopping Centre

A 15-year-old boy from Melton West has been charged with the alleged murder of a 16-year-old at a Melbourne shopping centre.

Oscar Hamilton was allegedly stabbed to death at Woodgrove Shopping Centre just before midday on Tuesday.

Despite the swift response from paramedics, the 16-year-old from Harkness died at the scene.

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Mr Hamilton’s girlfriend described him as a “beautiful soul.” She said that “life will never be the same.”

“Nobody will ever get over this. You filled everyone’s lives with so much light and joy. You never failed to bring a smile to faces. Life will never be the same without you,” she posted on Facebook.

“My heart will forever ache knowing that you are gone.”

The recent death comes on the heels of an alleged machete attack at Melton train station last Tuesday, where a teenager suffered a hand laceration.

Woodgrove Shopping Centre was also the scene of a violent brawl in April, resulting in the arrest of two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16.

Social media posts captured a boy raising what appeared to be a machete during that incident.

This follows a similar violent episode in January, which also involved a machete. Community members have voiced their outrage online.

“This has to stop. We aren’t even safe taking our kids to a local shopping centre for groceries anymore,” one Facebook user lamented.

Another called for increased police presence, saying, “Police need to start patrolling the centre, especially during school holidays. It’s absolutely devastating!”

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