"I was shock ... I didn't know he would die like this," Ms Mayola told Nine News. Mr Akech was active in church and sporting groups, and working at Tarneit McDonalds. His family said he was a strong support to his mother and was fast becoming a role model in the community. Family and members of Melbourne's African community believe Mr Akech's refusal to be part of further violence made him a target. "He was a victim of refusing to be part of the bad boys," family friend John said. "A few other kids told him if you are not part of this your life is at risk." Aguer Akech had recently arrived in Melbourne to visit his mother.

A family friend said he had arrived in Melbourne from South Australia two days before the attack on a surprise trip to visit his mother for Christmas. The family were days away from moving to Uganda after threats to Mr Akech's safety, family members said. Victoria Police is appealing to members of the African community to help track down the person who inflicted the fatal injuries on the teenager, who is believed to have been stabbed. Police believe the conflict began after a dispute over a Holden Commodore officers say was "taken" by one of the people later involved in the fight from an all-day soccer event at Green Gully Soccer Club on Saturday. Mr Akech's friend Ngor Alier, who was with the teenager in the hours before he was killed, said a group of youths stole their car and told them, "If you want your car back you can come to Keilor Plains train station".

Mr Alier said when he, Mr Akech and their friends arrived, they were attacked. "They all came armed weapons and that, I told the guys let's run," he said. "We didn't come to fight ... we didn't have anything to fight with, and we're not a gang, they say on the news we were a gang, we're not, we were just at a soccer tournament." Aguer Akech, who died following a brawl in St Albans, pictured with his mother, Aluel Mayola. About 11.30pm on Saturday, two groups – one of about 10 youths, the other of about 20 youths – met at at the train station in St Albans to settle the vehicle dispute.

Police said the groups then moved to an address in nearby Fox Street, where a fight broke out just after 1am. The brawl – involving an array of weapons and boys as young as their early teens – moved back to the railway station, where Mr Akech was assaulted. Mr Akech and other members of his group ran across the station platform and crossed a pedestrian walkway to the other side of the station, where he collapsed and died. The scene in Regan St, St. Albans around Keilor Plains railway station on Sunday. Credit:Penny Stephens. Members of the other group left in three vehicles including the subject of the dispute, a 2005 Holden Commodore sedan with South Australian registration S111 AZI, which police have not been able to find. The other two cars have not been identified.

Police believe the fight lasted just minutes, and are appealing to residents in nearby streets Taylors Road, Newcombe Drive, Biggs Street and Leslie Street to provide CCTV or dashcam footage and check their yards for weapons. Police arrested 10 people from across both groups on the night. All were released pending further inquiries. Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Tim Day appealed to the local African community to offer information to help track down the killer. "Whether or not this was a premeditated act or not, that's something we need to look at carefully. Whether or not it's just flashpoint in something innocuous, we just don't know at this stage," he said. "We know there will be members of the African community who know what happened – whether they be youth or whether they be leaders within the community – that will have some idea who inflicted the wounds on the deceased.

"Without your help we are not going to solve this." Police have found several weapons but it is unclear if those were used in the deadly assault. Mr Day would not say whether a key suspect had been identified but that the investigation had made "significant advances". "I have very little doubt in the fullness of time we will identify the person who inflicted the fatal wounds," he said. Family friend and community leader Achol Marial said Mr Akech was described as a "humble, quiet young man who is very generous and doesn't cause any trouble at home".