Chaos at mall: Knife fight between groups plunges Melbourne shopping centre into lockdown, videos surface

A violent knife fight between two groups at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre sent one man to hospital and triggered a lockdown. Police believe it was a targeted attack and have taken a suspect into custody.

A serious knife fight broke out at the busy Northland Shopping Centre in Preston, Melbourne, on Sunday afternoon, sending the mall into lockdown and leaving one man seriously injured.

The fight, which reportedly involved about 10 people from opposing groups, began around 2.30 PM local time. Several people were believed to be armed with knives. Emergency services rushed to the scene on Murray Road and found multiple victims with stab wounds.

One man in his 20s was taken to the hospital in a serious but stable condition with injuries to his upper body. Authorities believe the attack was targeted and that the people involved may have known each other.

Victoria Police have confirmed that the suspect is now in custody. Investigators are continuing to question witnesses and review security footage to piece together what happened.

As the incident unfolded, the shopping centre was placed under lockdown, with shoppers told to stay inside and keep away from certain areas. Many people took to social media to share their frightening experience.

“We’re all currently locked in, and the police are looking for them. Scary,” one shopper posted online. Another described the event as “horrific.”

A woman said she was approaching the shopping centre when she heard helicopters and saw people rushing out of the building. “It was a bit chaotic … a lot of cars coming out of the shopping centre,” she said.

Police have asked anyone who saw the altercation or has video footage to come forward and help with the investigation.

The shopping centre will remain under security watch as authorities continue their probe into what they describe as a targeted and violent incident.