Boy, 15, charged with murder over ‘senseless’ stabbing death of teen behind Sydney school

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after another teenager was stabbed to death during a confrontation between two groups of youths behind a high school in Sydney’s north-west.

Emergency services, including a CareFlight helicopter, were sent to a park near Rouse Hill High School at 4.20pm following reports a 17-year-old boy had been stabbed in the leg. Paramedics frantically attempted resuscitation on the teenager, but he died at the scene.

Witnesses reported seeing a knife tucked in the waistband of one of the teenagers seen fleeing the scene. It is unclear what kind of knife was used in the stabbing.

Hills Police Area Commander Naomi Moore described the teenager’s death in Rouse Hill on Monday as senseless, saying he and a friend were approached in the reserve on Caballo Street by a group of two to three young people before a knife was produced.

“I have 17-year-olds at home. This has impacted the core of the community. I have no other words but it’s a tragedy, and it’s senseless,” she said.

Moore said several female witnesses rendered aid to the 17-year-old during the “horrifically confronting” situation.

Police arrested the 15-year-old about 7pm on Monday after he presented to a local police station with a parent, and he is assisting with their inquiries. He was charged with murder and refused bail to appear in court on Tuesday.

Moore said there were no apparent links to Rouse Hill High School, and that the stabbing did not appear to be gang related. Police will continue searching for one or two other people who they believe can assist with investigations.

Police received reports two people, believed to be teenagers, were seen fleeing the scene. One of them was believed to be wearing a school uniform.

Strike Force Crawton has been launched to investigate the boy’s death.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was “deeply saddened” by the teen’s death, and extended his “sincere condolences” to his family and friends.

“It is an unimaginable loss, and the whole community will feel the impact.”

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said she was “deeply saddened” to learn of the boy’s “tragic” death.

“My thoughts and deepest condolences are with the young boy’s family during this extremely difficult time,” Rowland said in a statement.

“There is no place in our community for these acts of senseless violence, and I know this news will be particularly distressing for local families.”

The teenager’s death comes after attempts to crack down on knife crime in NSW.

The NSW government in June 2024 passed “Jack’s Law” – named for 17-year-old Queenslander Jack Beasley, who was stabbed to death in December 2019.

It allows police to stop and scan people with handheld metal-detecting “wands” in designated areas where violent offences involving weapons have occurred in the previous 12 months.

Police began using those powers in December and scanned 13,422 people up to the end of June, finding 193 weapons and laying 222 charges according to the force’s annual report.

More than 2000 of those scans took place at Mount Druitt in Sydney’s west. Daily scans were conducted following the death of 19-year-old Zac McRae at a bus station in the suburb on August 27.

More recently, five teenagers were charged over the stabbing of a 28-year-old convenience store worker at Burwood on Thursday.

A 17-year-old girl was charged over a 15-year-old girl’s alleged stabbing in Wellington in the state’s Central West on November 10.

A 13-year-old boy was charged with reckless wounding after another teenager was allegedly stabbed on a train at Hornsby on October 12.

A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were charged earlier in November over an alleged stabbing at Guildford in June, when a 62-year-old man was stabbed in the leg after being approached by a group.

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