A Kiwi teenager has died and his brother is fighting for his life after the two were attacked with knives while walking home in Melbourne.
Maaka Hakiwai, 17, was fatally stabbed in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon while walking home in the suburb of Kings Park with his brother Nathaniel, 18.
The boys were close to their home on Main Road West, a quiet suburban street, at the time of the attack.
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Nathaniel is understood to be in a "stable but critical condition" at Alfred Hospital after suffering multiple stab wounds.
Witnesses have described "several thugs" speeding off in a car as the brothers screamed for help, reports the Daily Mail.
The Hakiwai brothers were raised on Queensland's Gold Coast and were in Melbourne helping their parents, Stirling and Karli Hakiwai, relocate.
In an interview with the Daily Mail Australia, Stirling and Karli described the brothers as "inseparable".
"They were best friends... they did everything together," said the couple.
"Maaka our baby boy, pure evil has taken you away from us at 17 years young... we love you our son, brother, grandson, nephew and our dear friend. Fly high baby boy we love you more than words can express."
A GoFundMe page for the Hakiwai family has currently raised more than AU$41,000 (NZ$44,257) towards a AU$60,000 goal (NZ$64,766). The funds will be used to cover Maaka's funeral, care for Nathaniel and compensate for the family's lost income during this difficult time.
"They moved to Melbourne to start a life and instead a life was taken," a family friend told the outlet.
"Melbourne was to be a dream come true after years of FIFO [fly-in, fly-out] and instead it has turned into an unimaginable nightmare."
Haunting footage from the scene has been released by local media, showing paramedics working on one of the teenagers as a distraught woman, understood to be a relative, was consoled by an officer. A trail of blood can be seen staining the pavement for almost 20 metres.
The family are reportedly planning to fly Maaka's body home to New Zealand for his funeral.
Newshub.
