Melbourne shopping centre plunged into lockdown during gang clash

A busy shopping centre in Melbourne’s north was forced into lockdown after armed youths clashed with machetes and witnesses reported hearing gunfire.

Terrified shoppers and workers were forced to take cover inside Craigieburn Central around 7pm on Thursday when rival youth gangs wearing hoods and balaclavas erupted into violence.

Witnesses reported seeing machetes brandished during the brawl, with at least one involved believed to have been armed with a handgun.

The chaos triggered a stampede, sending families running for safety and forcing staff to cower under store counters. The shopping centre remained locked down for nearly two hours.

“We were having a good time as a family, and then we heard a gunshot,” witness Haiqa Asif told 9News.

“We saw people running and grabbing their children and running in different directions.”

By the time police arrived, the teens had dispersed. They remain on the run.

Fed-up traders say the violence is constant and are calling for an immediate boost in on-site security.

The incident unfolded just hours after the state government announced a $10 million Local Community Safety fund for council security upgrades.

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It’s also rolling out plans to recruit 150 additional Protective Services Officers to patrol shopping centres.

The opposition, however, blasted the government’s track record on community safety.

“The government have allowed crime to continue too much here in Victoria,” Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin said.

“We can’t continue down that path.”