House party at Airbnb becomes nightmare after alleged knife attack by rival gang
Rival gangs wreaked havoc at an Airbnb in Melbourne after one group allegedly crashed a party armed with knives, injuring at least three people.
A birthday party was being held at a home on Ever Home Drive in Truganina before a group stormed the property at 4.45am on Saturday.
Multiple emergency responders arrived at the short-stay rental unit shortly after and a crime scene was declared.
Two young men, aged 18 and 24, were taken to hospital with stab wounds following an alleged altercation in the unit.
A third man was injured but fled the scene as paramedics attempted to treat him.
CCTV video, published by Nine News, caught the moment several young people exited the home, with someone out of frame yelling: ‘Wrong person. Wrong person.’
Inside the unit, the scene was described as ‘confronting’ with a ‘significant amount of blood’ by Detective Senior Constable Rhys Maclean-Currie.
‘Investigators believe this is a gang-related incident between two opposing gangs known to police and known to the area,’ he told reporters.
Two gangs clashed during a party at an Airbnb in Truganina, Melbourne, on Saturday
‘Significant’ amounts of blood were found in the unit, along with shattered glass
The weapons used in the attack are believed to have been large knives, possibly including fishing or hunting knives, as well as batons and hardened weapons.
Senior Constable Maclean-Currie said the property owner had been informed, adding that there had previously been incidents in the neighbourhood.
‘There’s a number of Airbnbs in the area that have been utilised for gang-related activity and out-of-control parties,’ he said.
While he could not confirm if the recent incident was the result of an event getting out-of-control, he admitted ‘that sort of thing’ is an ongoing issue.
Witnesses also said the neighbourhood had experienced issues for several years.
‘I feel for these houses here because they have gone through this almost every single weekend,’ neighbour Rohit Suvarna told Nine.
‘As neighbours, we keep discussing how we can get rid of it,’ neighbour Kuldeep Singh added.
The unit’s owner Aga Arefeen said only two adults had registered to stay.
Victoria Police said on Saturday that Airbnbs in the area are regularly used for gang-related activity and out-of-control parties
Three people were injured during the altercation but one of them fled the scene
CCTV showed people running out of the property as an onlooker shouted ‘wrong person’
‘In the booking that I made this house is absolutely not for parties,’ Mr Arefeen told 7News.
‘They’re (only) supposed to have two adults and no children.’
Senior Constable Maclean-Currie said police will speak to victims once they have taken time to recover from their injuries, with one of them requiring surgery.
Police are currently looking for approximately eight to ten witnesses and victims relating to the alleged brawl.
There is no known ongoing risk to the community and officers will be conducting extensive door-to-door visits in the area.
No arrests have yet been made and investigations remain ongoing.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
