Police arrest 10 after teen died in Brisbane park baseball-bat brawl
Ten people have been arrested and are expected to be charged after a teenager died in a melee at a park on Brisbane's northside on Sunday.
Girum Mekonnen, 19, died at the scene after paramedics could not revive him after a brawl between two groups in Zillmere about 5pm on Sunday.
Girum Mekonnen, 19, was fatally stabbed at O’Callaghan Park in Zillmere in Brisbane's north on Sunday evening.Credit:Facebook
He and 10 others who were injured were from the same group.
They were set upon by a second group, with at least nine people who were brandishing knives and baseball bats arriving at the park in three cars, Superintendent Tony Fleming said on Tuesday.
The 10 arrested people were expected to each be charged with one count of murder, 11 counts of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm (representing 11 victims of the brawl) and one count of affray.
Superintendent Fleming said detectives executed search warrants at residences in south Brisbane and Ipswich on Wednesday morning.
He said police would allege the suspects fled O’Callaghan Park just before police arrived at the scene and they were picked up nearby and taken back to the Ipswich area.
Superintendent Fleming said the 10 people would be accused of going to O’Callaghan Park with the intent to assault the victims.
Police have also provided an update on the victims. Only three of the 11 victims remained in hospital on Wednesday - one was in a serious condition and the other two were recovering.
On Sunday night, three people were taken to hospital with critical injuries, two were seriously injured and four suffered minor injuries.
Superintendent Fleming said injuries suffered included stab wounds as well as significant head injuries from blows from baseball bats.
Police and SES volunteers spent Tuesday sweeping O’Callaghan Park for further evidence.
Toby Crockford is a breaking news reporter at the Brisbane Times
Jocelyn Garcia is a journalist at the Brisbane Times, covering breaking news.