Seven males arrested and charged over alleged planned gang fight at Northland shopping centre in Melbourne
Police have arrested and charged a total of seven people involved in an allegedly planned gang fight with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday.
Detectives say they initially believed eight people were involved in the incident that broke out just after 2:30pm on Sunday at the Preston centre's food court, but have since clarified that seven people were involved.
"Police will allege this was a planned fight between two rival youth gangs, with thankfully no innocent bystanders hurt," a police statement said.
"Those arrested were all known gang members and known to police."
Frightened shoppers fled Northland during the incident amid instructions to evacuate.
Security camera footage indicates the incident lasted for approximately 2 minutes, with around 40 local police and specialist units, including the Public Order Response Team and Critical Incident Response Team arriving within minutes, police said.
Since the incident, the state government has fast-tracked a ban on the sale of machetes, which takes effect from midday on Wednesday.
Two teenage males — aged 15 and 16 — who police allege to be the primary offenders, were arrested at the scene.
The pair have been charged with affray, intentionally causing injury, possessing a controlled weapon and using a controlled weapon.
They are in custody and have faced a children's court.
Two men — an 18-year-old from Bundoora and a 20-year-old from Thornbury — were arrested on Tuesday and will both face Heidleberg Magistrates' Court on July 15 charged with affray and intentionally causing injury.
An 18-year-old Thornhill Park man was arrested on Tuesday night, charged with affray and weapons offences and is scheduled to face Heidelberg Magistrates' Court today.
Two other young males were arrested on Wednesday morning: an 18-year-old from Derrimut charged with affray and intentionally causing injury, and a 21-year-old from Kew who was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening head injuries from the incident.
The Kew man was charged with affray, intentionally causing injury and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Police said officers would be patrolling the Northland shopping centre area over the coming days and weekends and that local police would work with the centre's management and retail staff to reassure them.
"Victoria Police continues to relentlessly pursue, disrupt and dismantle the state's worst youth gangs as part of Operation Alliance," police said.
Police say in the past year, Operation Alliance has led to the arrest of 473 youth gang members a combined 1,731 times, with more than 4,400 charges laid in relation to these matters.
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