Teens Gang Armed with Machetes Terrorize Busy Mall

A shocking police chase through one of Melbourne’s busiest shopping areas ended with four teenagers under arrest after a stolen SUV tore down Bourke Street Mall at lunchtime, terrifying shoppers and stirring painful memories of past tragedy.

According to police, the white BMW, believed to have been stolen a day earlier, was first spotted driving erratically on the Eastern Freeway around 12:30 p.m. Officers pursued the vehicle into the city’s central business district, where it struck a pedestrian on Exhibition Street. The woman was rushed to the hospital but thankfully suffered no life-threatening injuries.

Moments later, the SUV sped down the iconic pedestrian mall — the same stretch where a crazed driver killed six people and injured 27 others in 2017. Witnesses said shoppers screamed and ran for cover as the BMW, its windows smashed, barreled past bollards by driving along tram tracks.

The chaos ended around 1:30 p.m. when the teens ditched the car outside a department store and fled on foot. Police quickly tracked them down near a shopping center on Lonsdale Street. Two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old, and a 15-year-old from the Bendigo and Yarra Ranges areas were arrested and are now being questioned.

The disturbing chase rattled Melbourne residents who still carry scars from the 2017 Bourke Street massacre, when driver James Gargasoulas mowed down 33 pedestrians, killing six, including a 3-month-old baby. Gargasoulas was sentenced to life in prison in 2019, with a minimum of 46 years before parole eligibility.

For many, Monday’s incident revived fears that history could repeat itself. Witnesses described sheer panic as the SUV tore through the mall at high speed. “People were just running in every direction — it felt like déjà vu,” one shopper told local media.