The girlfriend of a 16-year-old boy who was allegedly stabbed to death in a busy shopping centre has urged her peers to ‘stop carrying weapons’.
Briannan Hibbert changed her Instagram biography to include the message following the death of her boyfriend Oscar Hamilton on Tuesday.
Oscar Hamilton was allegedly stabbed in the outdoor food court of the Woodgrove Shopping Centre, in Melton West, in Melbourne’s west, just before midday.
Paramedics performed CPR, but despite their best efforts, he died at the scene.
A 15-year-old boy from Melton West was arrested later on Tuesday and spent the night being interviewed by the detectives.
He has since been charged with one count of murder.
Police alleged the boy and Oscar were known to each other but insist no ties to youth gangs in the western suburbs have been established.
Photos shared to Instagram show some of Oscar’s mates posing up with giant machetes.
Others have reposted the hashtags ‘#stopyouthcrime #stopyouthknifecrime #knivesdown’ on their Instagram Stories.
Friends of Oscar also re-shared his girlfriend’s plea ‘stop carrying weapons’ on their own Instagram biographies.
Ms Hibbert has created a public Facebook group to commemorate Oscar, who she described as a ‘beautiful soul that I was lucky enough to call my boyfriend’.
‘It was never meant to end this way but I’m guessing heaven needed you more than us,’ she continued.
‘Nobody will ever get over this. You filled everyone’s life with so much light and joy. You never failed to bring a smile to faces.
‘Life will never be the same without you. My heart will forever ache knowing that you are gone.
‘I will never forgive who did this to you. We are going to get you justice, don’t you worry.
‘Everyone was so lucky to have you in their life. This world was too cruel for your beautiful soul.’
It’s understood Oscar’s mother dropped him off at the shopping centre before he was allegedly stabbed ‘several times’ outside La Porchetta, in front of school holiday diners.
Police say Oscar’s mother has been assisting investigators, who have since obtained CCTV of the alleged murder.
It’s understood the weapon allegedly used is yet to be recovered by police.
Oscar’s father, Steven Hamilton, released a statement on behalf of the family to The Age, saying his family’s world had been ‘shattered’.
‘Broken to pieces by a senseless act that cut short the life of our son and brother, Oscar,’ the statement read.
‘His loss has left a gaping hole in our hearts and our grief knows no bounds. We ask for the space and privacy to navigate this incredibly difficult time.’
Oscar’s accused murderer appeared in court on Wednesday and was seen wiping away tears.
No details of the alleged offending were read in court, with the 15-year-old instead remanded to a committal mention in January.
His lawyer told the magistrate it was the 15-year-old’s first time in custody and he needed to be assessed by a nurse. He did not apply for bail.
The incident comes just days after a local issued a warning to shoppers about possible ‘gang’ issues at the shopping centre.
‘I’ve heard possible issues with gang problems this weekend at Woodgrove,’ the woman wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
‘Hopefully not true… Be aware of your surroundings.’