A young man has died and another remains in hospital after a stabbing in Hobart’s busy Salamanca precinct on Saturday night, prompting a police murder investigation.
Detective Acting Inspector Rick Newman said officers were called to reports of a fight between two groups in a Morrison Street car park about 11:45pm.
During the incident, two men suffered stab wounds and were taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
“Unfortunately, a 20-year-old male was pronounced deceased on arrival at the Royal Hobart Hospital,” Newman said.
“The other victim, a 23-year-old male, remains in a stable condition and he’s been treated for his injuries.”
Police have charged a 20-year-old man with assault in relation to the incident, though not in connection with the stabbing or death.
He has been bailed to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court at a later date.
A 17-year-old boy is also in custody, assisting police with their inquiries after turning himself in on Sunday morning.
“He presented himself … after hearing that we were looking for him,” Newman said.
No charges have been laid in relation to the stabbing or murder.
Inspector Newman said police were still trying to confirm how many people were involved in the altercation.
“At the moment, we’re working through a lot of CCTV footage, speaking to witnesses and trying to establish exactly how many people were involved in this incident,” he said.
Police have not yet recovered any weapons, despite searching the area and nearby properties.
The two victims were known to each other, though police are still investigating whether they knew their alleged attacker.
Inspector Newman said those identified so far are from the greater southern Hobart area.
Police believe the incident may have been sparked by an earlier altercation in the city several weeks ago, though that has not been confirmed.
“That’s fully part of our investigation at the moment,” Newman said.
“We believe it’s potentially a targeted thing. It’s not someone just walking up to someone randomly on the street and stabbing them.”
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage to contact them on 131 444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
