Police hunt for killers of teenage girl slain in CBD apartment
Police are still searching for those involved in the killing of nineteen-year-old Laa Chol in a CBD apartment on Friday night.
As community leaders warned people not to avenge the young woman's death, police said they were confident they would find those responsible.
No arrests have been made.
The young woman was South Sudanese, her parents coming from the smaller Chollo and Anyauk tribes.
Ms Chol is remembered by friends as a “positive and bright young lady”, as tributes to her flow on social media.
“She was like a sister to me,” one friend wrote in a public Facebook post.
“Now my heart is in two. I think about you constantly... you're gone now, but you will always remain our hearts until the day we all meet again.”
Another friend wrote, "You didn’t deserve to die this cruelty ... [You] always showed love to everyone around you and anyone new you met. You never failed to make me laugh. R.I.P beautiful"
Police believe that all those involved are of African Australian descent, and community leaders have taken to social media to call for calm.
Achol Marial, a youth affairs officer for South Sudanese Community Association in Victoria, urged people not to take revenge.
"My community, please do not take matters into your own hands ... there is no need to revenge or avenge kill," she said in a Facebook post.
Police have seized the CCTV footage from the high rise apartment block on A'Beckett St and a group of twelve individuals are assisting the police with the enquiries. None of this group is believed to be involved in the woman's death.
The official cause of death has not been confirmed by police, however, it is understood that the young woman was stabbed during a fight that broke out in the 56th-floor apartment.
The woman was treated by paramedics but died at the scene from her injuries about 5.15am on Saturday.
Police said a group of African-Australian youths was inside the short-stay rental apartment at the EQ Tower on A'Beckett Street overnight when a second group arrived.
Police do not know if the second group was invited or if they forced their way into the 56th floor of the building where the assault took place.
"A dispute of some nature has occurred, resulting in the victim ... being assaulted," Victoria Police commander Tim Hansen told media on Saturday afternoon.
"This, as I understand it, isn't a random attack," Mr Hansen said.
"Whilst this will bring a level of apprehension to members across our community there is some connection between these groups.
Police have not confirmed if there was a pre-existing rivalry between the groups.