A 15-year-old girl was attacked and lost her life on her way to school in Croydon, which is in south London. She was stabbed.
Police cars and ambulances surrounded a red double-decker bus on Wellesley Road, near the Whitgift Centre, after the attack at 08:30 BST.
A 17-year-old boy, believed to be familiar with the girl, was taken into custody shortly after she passed away at 09:21 BST.
The girl’s school, the private Old Palace of John Whitgift, expressed being “very surprised”. They stated that she was a “dear and important friend and student”.
“It will take a while for the Old Palace community to understand this awful news, and we will help our students as we try to do so.
“Above all, we send our love and deepest sympathies to the girl’s family at this incredibly sad time.”
The girl in year 11 had just gotten off the number 60 bus with her friends when she was attacked.
People who saw it said the bus driver and others nearby tried to help her.
The Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police, Andy Brittain, said the attack is something every parent is very afraid of.
“I know the officers who came quickly this morning, along with our emergency service colleagues, are very sad about the victim’s passing.”
He mentioned that officers were at the scene within two minutes of getting the call and gave her first aid.
“In just 75 minutes, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in New Addington, and he’s still in custody,” he added.
The police said they aren’t looking for anyone else related to the crime.
When visiting the place, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, called the murder “senseless” and said it’s “impossible to understand.”
He also said it was “touching and inspiring to meet many members of the wonderful Croydon community who have come together to support a family now facing the most unimaginable sorrow.
A white tent for investigations is set up in an area marked off by the police near the shopping center. Next to the tent, there are flowers.
A person who saw what happened, Bridget, didn’t want to share her full name. She said, “I was on the bus earlier, and when I got off and walked back, I saw them trying to bring her back to life.”
“The driver and a woman were holding her. The emergency team was already here when I came back.
Anthony King, who helps young people in Croydon and works to reduce crime, shared with BBC Radio London that he had just spoken with the girl’s friends and family after the morning’s attack.
He said, “This is the fourth or fifth time that I’ve had to look a parent in the eye and tell them their child has died. It’s the worst day of my life, and I can’t imagine how awful it must feel for them.”
“The sounds of distress I heard this morning will stay with me forever. Please keep the family in your prayers and thoughts.”
He also mentioned that it had been nearly two years since a teenager had lost their life to violence in Croydon.
‘Happening too often’
This year, 15 teenagers have lost their lives to violence, while last year saw 14 such tragic incidents.
Based on information from the Metropolitan Police, between August 2022 and 2023, Croydon had the highest number of stabbings resulting in injury compared to other areas in London, with 211 reported cases.
When we consider the size of the population, Croydon had 0.5 incidents of “knife crime with injury” for every 1,000 people, making it the tenth highest rate among London’s boroughs.
A person from Croydon, Georgina Slater, shared with the BBC that the recent killing is “absolutely horrible, and it’s just happening too frequently in this area.”
“I don’t understand how a young girl could be stabbed at this time in the morning.”
I don’t understand what the police are doing… they seem to be getting younger,” she said.
“We need action, we need things for the kids, they don’t have enough guidance. The police show up when something like this happens – but where are the programs in the schools?”
Another person passing by, Christopher Ita, mentioned, “This will happen again next week, and next month, it’ll just be someone else.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan expressed being deeply saddened by the killing and asked for anyone who saw something to come forward. He also said he’s in contact with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
“I promise to keep working tirelessly to stop the problem of knife crime in our city,” he said on Greatest Hits Radio.
Sarah Jones, the MP for Croydon Central, expressed deep sadness that a child in her town lost her life while going to school. She thanked the police and ambulance service for their quick response and efforts to save the girl.
Chris Philp, who is both the MP for Croydon South and the Minister for Policing, described the news of the girl’s passing as incredibly heartbreaking. He emphasized the urgency to remove all knives from London’s streets using any available methods.
Steve Reed, the MP representing Croydon North, called it another sad, surprising, and preventable loss of life.
The Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, also shared his devastation, saying that the thoughts of the whole community are with the victim’s family and friends.
SOURCE:BBC