• At least four individuals have been stabbed, including one in serious condition with wounds to the upper abdomen, following a stabbing incident at Northland Shopping Center in Melbourne’s Preston area during the evening hours (local time) on May 25.  
• At least two individuals have been arrested by police, with security and paramedical services remaining on the scene, as of writing.  
• The authorities have confirmed that the shopping center remains in lockdown, as of writing. 

1. The incident gains particular significance given that it comes following other prominent incidents of violent crime recorded on May 24, including the fatal shooting of a woman in South Melbourne as well as the use of a machete on Cecil Street in South Melbourne on the same night (local time). While preliminary reports suspect that the incident is related to an attempted robbery and gang violence, suggesting an isolated event, the precise motives behind the ongoing incident remain unclear.  
2. FORECAST: Security in the vicinity of the shopping center is expected to remain bolstered over the coming days both to deter additional attacks as well as ensure public safety given the fear which will likely remain over the near term due to the relative rarity of such events in suburban Melbourne. Such measures can also be anticipated at other shopping centers to assuage public concerns regarding the potential for further similar incidents.  
3. Amid this public fear, the authorities will likely work to quickly apprehend anyone suspected of having been involved in the incident, particularly given the significant social media coverage of the event, including images captured of those allegedly brandishing the knives and/or machetes inside the shopping center.  
4. FORECAST: Public safety concerns are likely to intensify following this incident particularly as it follows similar events over the weekend involving a suspect wielding a machete in a public area. Given current regulatory gaps in restricting access to bladed weapons, there may be renewed pressure to expedite the implementation of the machete ban outlined in the Terrorism (Community Protection) and Control of Weapons Amendment Bill 2025, scheduled to take effect in Victoria on September 1. The authorities are also expected to ramp up enforcement against illegal knife manufacturing and distribution, especially targeting unlicensed weapon factories, mirroring operations that led to the seizure of hundreds of similar weapons in Victoria, February 25 reports.  

Those operating or residing in Melbourne on May 25 are advised to avoid nonessential travel to the area due to the ongoing situation and related security operations while allotting for disruptions.