In brief
Police in Dandenong reported that three individuals, a 28‑year‑old woman and two men aged 26 and 35, were critically wounded when stabbed near a primary school on Friday morning. Authorities said the victims know each other, the school momentarily locked down, and detectives from the family violence unit are conducting the inquiry. All that remains unresolved is the motive and identity of a potential perpetrator.
Three people were rushed to hospital after a stabbing event unfolded in Dandenong, a suburb 29 kilometres southeast of Melbourne’s central business district on Friday morning. The victims, a 28‑year‑old woman who suffered life‑threatening injuries and two men aged 26 and 35 who were taken for serious—but not fatal—wounds, were found near a primary school around 11:30 a.m.
Police first received emergency calls as responders arrived on the scene to find the trio wounded, with injuries believed to be stab wounds. Acting Inspector Rebecca Hall reported that a nearby primary school was placed in a temporary lockdown to keep children safe, and that the children were inside the building during the incident.
"My understanding is that the children were inside the school at the time and were prevented from coming to the street and so did not witness anything," Hall said to reporters at the scene.
The officer added that the emergency teams that responded believed that all three victims were acquainted with one another. Police are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the attack, according to a statement issued by the department.
Investigators from the family violence unit have begun the formal inquiry into the incident, with detectives on the case in the area. No suspect has been named and no motive has yet been disclosed.
The cessation of the school lockdown has been verified by school officials, while authorities confirmed the hospitalization of the injured. The woman with life‑threatening injuries remains in critical care, whereas the other two, though seriously hurt, are expected to recover once treatment is completed.
Police have not publicly released any information indicating a broader pattern of violence across Dandenong or stated that the situation is part of a wider series of violent incidents in the region.
The Department of Fire and Rescue Centre found that the school’s security measures were activated as a standard precautionary protocol . The incident has not disrupted traffic flow in the surrounding area, and local law‑enforcement officers on the scene remain on-duty to monitor any further activity.
The case remains under investigation with questions about motive and the identity of the individual or individuals responsible still unanswered. External reports have not yet identified any additional information, and authorities have made no comment on whether the attack relates to prior conflicts or whether the victim group was targeted for any specific reason.
In the days ahead, the investigation will continue while emergency services and the police force remain on standby to respond to any further developments, and the certainty over the full details of this incident continues to remain limited to what law‑enforcement officials have publicly stated at this time.
