Blood-curdling screams filled the air in Queensland late Saturday night after a teen was murdered at a house party, struck in the face with a pickaxe during a fight.
Friends have identified the dead teen as Matt McKay, 17, a Central Memorial high school student.
Neighbours said about 100 teens had gathered at a house on Queen Alexandra Rd. S.E. when the attack happened in a detached garage about 11:50 p.m.
"I was standing out back having a cigarette. Then I heard a kid screaming, 'they killed him,' then they all scattered," said Jeff, who lives next door to the house and did not want to give his last name.
"I just saw a body on the ground in the garage." Two high school-aged girls live at the house with their mother, said Jeff, adding large parties are common at the residence.
"There was one the night before and one two weeks before that," he said.
Lisa Poole, who lives two doors from where the murder took place, rushed outside when she heard the commotion, and someone asked her if she knew CPR.
"I said 'why,' and she said, 'because I think he's dead.' "
"I saw one boy laying there with a pickaxe stuck through the front of his head and some blood on the ground."
"One girl was leaning over him trying to find a pulse and the other neighbour was on the phone to 911, but he was already dead," Poole said.
"I didn't think CPR was going to help that poor boy. I haven't slept at all and I can't get that picture out of my head."
Despite the frequency of late-night bashes at the house, Jeff described the neighbourhood as quiet and said he has never had a problem with partygoers in the five years he's lived there.
Chris Briggs, who grew up in the same neighbourhood and was friends with McKay, described him as nice guy and avid athlete.
"He was a pretty good guy," he said.
"He played hockey with my friends, he was huge into hockey."
Staff Sgt. Kevin Forsen said police are interviewing more than 40 witnesses to the attack.
"We're talking to a bunch of people who were there to find out what happened," he said.
"The kids have been fairly co-operative and forthright."
Forsen said an autopsy is scheduled for today.
No arrests have been made yet.
