The family of a man who went on a stabbing rampage at an accounting firm in Gippsland say they did not see the shocking incident coming.
RGM Financial Group directors Pearse Morgan and Joe Auciello were both hospitalised with stab wounds after the sudden knife attack by employee Carl Richardson on Monday morning.
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Moe stabbing: Family in disbelief
The family of the man who went on a stabbing rampage in a Moe office share their heartache.
Mr Richardson was later found dead on the ground next to his car in Hayes Road in Newborough, a small town near Moe where he lived, having shot himself.
Tony Flynn, a friend of Mr Richardson for 30 years, read a statement on behalf of the family on Tuesday.
"This is a tragedy for all families involved," he said.
"This is too much to process right now. We are all in shock and never saw anything like this coming.
"On behalf of the family, our thoughts and hearts go out to the families affected, and we ask that everybody's privacy be respected.
"We ask that the family is left alone to process everything."
![Flowers are delivered to the family home of Carl Richardson.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/4/w/u/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
Neighbour Elizabeth Scott, who lives a few doors down from the Richardson family, said they moved to Newborough about a year ago.
"It's so sad. Everybody is saying how horrible it is that this has happened," she said.
![Carl Richardson was found dead soon after stabbing his two coworkers.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/4/c/o/a/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
"They are a really quiet family, you'd see their two boys playing in the street, they seemed happy."
Ms Scott, 73, said locals were bewildered about how such an incident could take place.
![Family friend Tony Flynn reads a statement on behalf of the family of Carl Richardson.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/4/w/u/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
She said Moe would once again have its name in the news for the wrong reasons, remembering the tragic Jaidyn Leskie case.
"This is not Moe. I know it has had bad press but it's a really quiet country area," she said.
![The RGM office where the stabbing occurred.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/4/5/c/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
"People are very community minded and I'm sure anybody that you speak to here will say that its a good place to live."
Mr Auciello was in a critical but stable condition at The Alfred hospital on Tuesday after being stabbed in the neck and mouth.
![Pearse Morgan, a victim of the stabbing attack in Moe.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/3/z/5/d/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
His colleague Mr Morgan, who received stab wounds in the left eye, abdomen and arm, was in a stable condition at the Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Mr Morgan's brother, Greg Morgan, told Channel 9 his sibling was attacked after he tried to defend Mr Auciello.
![Second stabbing victim in Moe, Joe Auciello.](/web/20161021190424im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/4/6/s/y/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gs4qtb.png/1476778060591.jpg)
"He [Mr Richardson] tried to stab him in the eye, but it sort of hit the jaw bone and broke the knife," he said.
"It's all a bit out of the blue."
Mr Richardson, the father of two secondary school aged boys, fled the scene after the stabbing frenzy, his white shirt covered in blood. He was later found dead on Hayes Road.
On its Facebook page, RGM said its thoughts were with the families of those impacted by the incident.
"Thanks for your understanding and messages of concern," the post said.
In response, community members and customers gave their messages of support to the families involved.
"My thoughts are with the staff and the families of the people affected today. Hope for a speedy recovery," posted Kylie Hyett.
"Thinking of all at RGM at this very sad time, hoping Pearse and Joe will be on the road to recovery very soon," wrote Rhonda Nelson Mether.
Inspector Dean Thomas said on Monday that the attack was out-of-character, and did not believe threats or altercations had occurred previously in the office.
"It was very traumatic, everyone was severely stressed," Inspector Thomas said.
"They were all taken by surprise and everyone did what they could to survive and assist others
"We're just trying to piece it all together to understand the motive."
About 15 people were in the office at the time.
Mr Morgan, well-known in the racing industry and a lifetime Gippsland resident, told a friend from his hospital bed on Monday that he "heard a commotion" before seeing his colleague being "stabbed and stabbed".
"I ran out and tried to intervene and then I went blank."
- With Tammy Mills, Chloe Booker, Patrick Bartley