Police are searching for multiple suspects after a series of stabbings in Fortitude Valley on Sunday morning. Source: Kgbo, Wikimedia Commons
A group of men in masks and balaclavas have allegedly stabbed three people in separate robberies in Fortitude Valley early on Sunday morning.
A 17-year-old male has since been charged, but police are still searching for the other four or five suspects and seeking public help with the search.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said that the victims were attacked and robbed as they walked out of venues in the popular nightlife precinct.
“A group of four to five men donned masks and balaclavas and then set about, in at least one of these instances, robbing individual persons as they left licensed venues,” Detective Superintendent Massingham said.
“These incidents are abhorrent; they are cowardly and indeed callous in the way that they were conducted.
“It was particularly brutal, particularly violent.”
One of the victims, a 21-year-old man, was stabbed in the back at around 3:20am, and was taken to hospital with a collapsed lung, but is now stable.
Officers were then called to two other attacks within a timeframe of 10 minutes.
Another 21-year-old man was stabbed in the abdomen near the corner of Ann and Constance streets.
A 23-year-old man was then found with stab wounds on his right arm as well as facial injuries.
Detective Superintendent Massingham said he had requested all available detectives to work “around the clock” to locate the rest of the attackers, who had likely fled on foot.
“That will only be a matter of time and I’m confident in the coming days we will have all four or five of those males in handcuffs,” Massingham said.
Crime scenes have been declared across the valley as police review CCTV in the area.
The 17-year-old has been charged with one count of robbery with violence, grievous bodily harm, and stealing, as it was alleged he had stolen a gold necklace from one of the victims. He will appear in the Brisbane Children’s Court on Monday.
Police are urging for anyone with information or CCTV footage in the area to come forward.
