Perspective

Senseless violence in Australia leaves some young people feeling vulnerable

ARARAT, Australia – In Australia, people are stunned after a man, seemingly struggling with mental health issues, ran down dozens of people in the Melbourne Central Business District.
Around midday Friday the shocking news came through that there had been an incident in the center of Melbourne, and of course my first thought – and I’m sure I wasn’t alone – was terrorism.
The horrific incident – seen in footage shared on social media – started with the offender doing burn outs in what is one of the busiest intersections in Melbourne, with onlookers even approaching the car and hitting it with a bat.
The 26-year-old man then drove towards the Bourke street mall which was at its busiest, with it being school holidays and around lunch. He then drove down the mall, plowing through innocent shoppers, workers, tourists and children.
Police arrested the driver at the bottom of the mall with an unsettling empty pram on the car’s bonnet. The business district then went into lockdown and the investigation began.
These dreadful events caused speculation of suspected links to terrorism, but that police from Victoria dismissed that.
It’s unclear what was the motive behind this attack that left a man and woman in their 30s and a child dead and at least another 15 injured, including five critically. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t excuse this man for taking three lives away.
The future doesn’t look very positive for young people with more and more attacks occurring, whether it’s related to terrorism or drugs, as this is expected to be.
Are we safe anymore? The emergency services do a great job responding, but what is being done to prevent these events from happening in the first place? Youth are starting to feel unsafe, summing up this action as devastating and tragic.
Jack Ward is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
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