Walthamstow stabbing: boy, 16, stabbed to death outside school gates as police issue plea

A teenage boy has been stabbed to death as he left a school in east London, police have said.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a stabbing at Markhouse Road, E17, at 4.09pm on Friday (5 May).

Emergency services including London’s Air Ambulance (HEMS) and London Ambulance Service attend, but sadly despite best efforts, the 16-year-old boy could not be saved. He died at the scene at 4.39pm.

The pupil at Kelmscott school, Walthamstow, was knifed outside by his attackers who were “waiting for him”, according to a local. The 16-year-old tried to escape but was stabbed a short distance away outside an auto parts store as other pupils watched.

A business owner, who wished not to remain anonymous, said he saw one of the assailants get out of a white Hyundai shortly before the attack.

Another added: “He was a Year 11 kid. There were three other kids older than him. They were waiting for him. They chased him. He ran and when he got to the tyre shop they stabbed him three times in the stomach and he bled to death.”

The man said that gang-related violence had become a common occurrence in Walthamstow, claiming it had gone from “bad to worse”.

Head teacher Sam Jones described the attack as the “darkest of days” for the school community. He said in a statement: “A Kelmscott student was tragically killed in a senseless knife attack.

“Kelmscott is a large and tight-knit family and this loss will be felt for a long time to come. Hold those that you love close this evening. I know we will come together as a community and support one another through this.”

Police said the teenager’s next of kin have been informed and a post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course. No arrests have yet been made and road closures and cordons remain in place around the crime scene, Scotland Yard added. Police are now appealing for anyone with any information about the incident to come forward.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads North East Command, said: “I am totally devastated at the loss of a young man’s life on our streets. My deepest sympathy and thoughts are with the victim’s family at this tragic time.

“I, like many others, care passionately about our communities and I know this awful loss of life will reverberate far and wide. We must stand together in the face of such violence and I urge anyone who knows anything about what happened this afternoon to please contact us immediately.”

Anyone with information or footage who has not yet spoken with police should call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 4965/5MAY. Information can also be reported anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.