Birthday gathering turns violent as youths attacked with knives in Shek Kip Mei Estate

Two 18-year-old secondary school students were attacked and seriously injured while celebrating a birthday in a stairwell at Shek Kip Mei Estate on Tuesday night, leaving one of them with multiple knife wounds and temporarily unconscious.

Police are searching for the assailant and investigating the motive, with the case handed to the Sham Shui Po Anti-Triad Squad.

The incident occurred at Mei Yue House, where the two Form Six classmates—who live on different floors in the same building—met to mark one teenager’s birthday at the 37th-floor stairwell.

According to sources, the celebration was abruptly interrupted when a knife-wielding attacker rushed at them, slashing both victims before they fled to one boy’s home for help. Family members then called police.

The birthday boy sustained wounds to the head, back and waist, and was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital. The second victim, surnamed Cheung, suffered cuts to both hands and was admitted to Caritas Medical Centre. Both of them required surgery.

Sources said neither teenager has triad ties, financial disputes nor a record with school social workers, leaving the motive unclear. Officers are examining whether the attack was targeted or random.

Police cordoned off the area overnight and found bloodstains across corridors, lifts and stairwells. A bloodied ceramic knife, a box-cutter blade, a birthday card, a paper-wrapped cake and a mobile phone belonging to Cheung were also recovered at the scene.

Read more: Two teenagers stabbed in Shek Kip Mei Estate; suspect still at large

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A neighbor living next door to Cheung said the teenager lives with his parents and younger brother and usually behaves normally. She saw paramedics bringing the victims out after treatment.

“He was in really bad shape — fully wrapped up, only the eyes were visible. I couldn’t see his face,” she said.

Another resident on the 37th floor recalled hearing commotion but assumed it was renovation noise.

“I heard loud sounds but didn’t open the door. I thought someone next door was doing renovation,” he said. When he eventually stepped out, the floor was covered in bloody footprints. Police told him the victims “ran back home using the lift after being attacked in the stairwell.” By Tuesday morning, cleaning staff had washed away the blood.

Police continue to hunt for the attacker and are reviewing CCTV footage in the area.