Police are searching for a group of party crashers who arrived uninvited at a gathering in Sydney's southwest, leaving three teenagers with stab wounds. The incident occurred on Zephyr Street in Austral shortly after midnight on Sunday, terrifying local families who hid inside their homes as the violence unfolded.
Chaos Erupts at Airbnb Party
Officers were called to break up a violent birthday brawl held at an Airbnb rental, with pepper spray used to control approximately 70 partygoers, most of whom were in their late teens. A witness described the scene as "a war, you know, because there were so many people involved."
Footage shows a 17-year-old boy walking with a bloodied thigh, hiding behind a sign for several minutes before being escorted away. He was later found in a nearby car and treated for stab wounds. A 19-year-old was stabbed in the chest, while another teen suffered lacerations to the hand.
Police Describe Chaotic Scene
Liverpool City PAC Detective Inspector Scott Houldin said, "It was a chaotic scene. Police protected themselves with a variety of use of force." Police seized several exhibits, including three knives. The teens were attacked by unwelcome gatecrashers after the birthday party was advertised on social media.
One local resident noted, "There's not really anything that happens around these ways, you know. Pretty quiet street as well. Yeah, [it's] just crazy." The mob crashed through neighbours' fences to escape as police arrived.
Victims Cooperating with Police
The two stabbing victims spent the night in Liverpool Hospital and have been cooperating with police, who face the difficult task of identifying the attackers among the large crowd of partygoers. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
