Off-duty security guard Aidan Becker was fatally stabbed at Mernda train station, in Melbourne's northeast, on Friday evening after rushing to the 14-year-old boy's aid. The group of teenagers allegedly pursued Mr Becker and attacked him as he escorted the boy from the train station.
He tried to walk away with the boy but was subjected to a "savage" attack involving punching, kicking and the use of blades, Homicide Squad inspector Nigel L'Estrange said on Saturday. Mr Becker suffered life-threatening injuries and was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
Mr Becker, a security guard who was off duty at the time, has been hailed a hero by members of the public, including his former footy club Yarrambat Junior Football Club who described him as a "very special young man". The schoolboy's family said Becker "showed extraordinary courage and compassion in risking his life to save our son."
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was scheduled to meet with his family on Tuesday. "It's an opportunity for me to sit and listen," the premier said. "And also express my deepest, deepest sympathy for someone who was a strong young man, a proud member of the local community who has been killed in the most awful, violent and tragic of circumstances."
The government's Violence Reduction Unit was working to understand what led to the incident, Ms Allan said. The incident has drawn sharp political responses. Opposition leader Jess Wilson said Mr Becker's death was just another example of Victoria's "crime crisis". "It breaks my heart that Victoria is now in a state where people are scared in their homes, scared coming home from work," Ms Wilson told reporters on Monday.
Four male teens were arrested at the scene and have since been charged with murder and armed robbery. The eldest, Mike Pikos, 18, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday morning but was not required to speak, and was remanded in custody to return to court on June 24. A 16-year-old from Whittlesea and a 17-year-old from Geelong were also charged with murder and armed robbery. A 17-year-old from the City of Yarra was under police guard in hospital over the weekend and was charged with murder and armed robbery on Monday.
The incident has left deep scars on the Mernda community, with residents turning out in droves to leave bouquets and handwritten notes near the site of Mr Becker's death. The Becker family are grieving the unimaginable loss of their son and have asked that their privacy be respected as they come to terms with this devastating tragedy.