Luke Batty was attacked by his father in front of his mum and horrified parents and friends at about 6:30pm last night. He died on the scene. The 54-year-old attacker, believed to be Luke’s father, Greg, was shot by police and later died in hospital.
Addressing the Australian press outside her house, Luke’s mother, Rosie Batty, spoke of her devastation, and said that Luke begged for a few more minutes with his father who he didn’t often see just before he was killed.
She explained: “What triggered this was a case of his dad having mental health issues…No one loved Luke more than his father. No one loved Luke more than me – we both loved him.”
Tributes have been pouring in on social media; by 9am one Facebook page had 6,000 members and thousands of notes of dedication and love for the young boy.
Premier Denis Napthine said he was shocked by the terrible death. “It’s an absolute tragedy – our hearts go out to the boy’s mum and his extended family, and we’re also thinking of the police officers who were involved,” he said.
The flag at Luke’s school, Flinders Christian Community College, was flown at half mast today and flowers have been laid out near the site of the crime. Luke’s friends are planning a vigil in his memory at the Oval, and the Australian cricket team will wear black armbands at tonight’s test match to pay their respects.
Image credit: YouTube
