Police have arrested a teenage boy after a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death on her way to school in south London this morning.
What happened
The teenager, a pupil at the Old Palace of John Whitgift School, was attacked in Wellesley Road outside the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon, after a ‘row over a bag’, witnesses claimed.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 8.30am, but Scotland Yard said the girl was pronounced dead just under an hour later.
Police later said that a 17-year-old-boy had been arrested at around 9.45am and that he was ‘known’ to the victim.
They said he remains in custody after being arrested around five miles away in New Addington.
Guests and staff at the Leonardo Hotel across from the scene are said to have run to help the young girl.
What eye witnesses say
Chevanice Thomas, who works on the nearby Landsdown Building site, said her friend saw a group of schoolchildren and adults running from the scene immediately after the stabbing.
Ms Thomas, 28, said: ‘Apparently she [the victim] broke up with her boyfriend yesterday.
‘My friend said there was people with their children running everywhere.
‘The only person who stayed was the bus driver.
‘A lot of people got out of their vehicles and started running.
‘My friend said they were off the bus, talking, the boy and the girl.
‘The boy gave her flowers, but she didn’t want anything to do with him.
‘Then he got violent and stabbed her. My friend said the knife was like a sword.
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‘My friend was on [the opposite side of the road]. She crossed over just before she got stabbed.
Video recording
‘She took a video… when she saw the police officer trying to compress the wound and the blood gushed out she couldn’t watch anymore.’
The perpetrators hadn’t been found at this point, they had ran towards east Croydon.
A statement released by Old Palace of John Whitgift School said: ‘We are deeply shocked by the senseless and tragic death of our much-loved and valued friend and pupil.
‘It will take some time for the Old Palace community to come to terms with this terrible news, and we will offer support to our pupils as we try to do so.
‘Above all, we send our love and deepest sympathies to the girl’s family at this unimaginably distressing time.’
