A witness described how he tried to keep a teenager alive after he was attacked by two people armed with a machete at a busy shopping centre in west Melbourne.
A vehicle had pulled up alongside the victim and his friend before two people jumped out.
Witnesses said they were armed with machetes
They slashed the teenager from behind.
As he fell to the ground, they kept attacking before making their getaway towards Commercial Road.
The teenager was left covered in flood and lying unconscious on the footpath.
“He was in and out of consciousness,” a witness told 9News.
“I administered first aid by grabbing bandages and wrapping them around the wounds.
“I was just trying to keep him awake, and keep him alive.”
The teenager suffered horrific life-threatening injuries to his hand, head and torso and was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Local parents are concerned about gang violence in the area.
“We don’t like our kids to go out, it’s pretty scary,” one parent told 9News.
“They’re making threats that they’re going to get their gang friends who are going to sort them out and hurt them,” another said.
“I’m shocked, it’s appalling. We come here with our family all the time,” a third said.
Some business owners now plan to step up security, one saying he will walk staff to their cars at night.
The two attackers remain on the run.
Police have interviewed the dozen of witnesses and scoured through footage provided by the shopping centre.
Anyone with information or footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
