A man being held in a Melbourne psychiatric hospital for murder allegedly went on a killing rampage with a knife last night, fatally stabbing two patients.
The 49-year old took the large kitchen knife from his secure living quarters during a fight with his 54-year-old roommate and is alleged to have repeatedly stabbed him at the Thomas Embling Hospital in Fairfield about 11pm.
Detective Sergeant Wayne Cheesman said the patients began screaming as the man left his room armed with a knife.
"Two staff members have followed him into the room next door, a 36-year-old man has been in bed, there’s been some yelling and screaming, he then stabbed that person," Detective Sergeant Cheesman said.
The wounded man tried to flee his alleged attacker and retreat to another bedroom but was followed and again stabbed, police say.
Staff were then threatened with a knife and the Victoria Police critical incident response team called to the chaotic scene while other patients holed themselves up in their rooms.
"We still (had) a 49-year-old male inside with a knife and we didn’t know if there were other victims or where he was," Detective Sergeant Cheesman said.
"They’ve gone in and found the second victim and he was still alive at that stage, and dragged him out."
Staff attempted to perform CPR on the man but he died at the scene.
Police do not know what sparked the original confrontation between the roommates, who had been friends and had often gone on day leave together including fishing trips.
The alleged killer and his two victims were all in the hospital after being charged with murders.
The 49-year-old man was found by police sitting on his bed in a fresh change of clothes.
He was still holding the knife, but had cleaned the weapon and gave himself up to police, Detective Sergeant Cheesman said.
The man is currently being assessed at Fitzroy police station to see if he is fit to be interviewed. He has not yet been charged.
Detective Sergeant Cheesman said the men lived in self-contained living quarters that included kitchen quarters with knives.
The family of the victims have been notified, but police are yet to reveal their identities.
He said police were still investigating whether the knife had been brought into the hospital or was kept there.
Two nurses, a male and female, were present in the secure complex at the time of the killings.
The male nurse, who witnessed the second stabbing, called out to the alleged killer to stop before he himself was
threatened.
The State Coroner has attended the scene.
The 118-bed hospital is operated by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), a section of the Department of Human Services.
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