15-year-old stabbed outside London school
Friday, 19 May 2006 19:23
15-year-old stabbed outside London school
Police have launched a murder hunt after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside a school in north-west London.
The stabbing was reported by teachers at the London Academy school in Edgware at 15:35 BST yesterday afternoon, Scotland Yard said.
Detectives believe that Kiyan Prince was stabbed during an "altercation" with another youth as pupils left the building in King's Drive at the end of the school day.
The suspect, thought to be around 16 years old, then fled from the scene and was witnessed running away towards Salisbury Court.
The victim, who collapsed just metres away from his school, outside Stamford Court, was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 17:54 BST.
Police said they were satisfied that the dead boy was Kiyan, of Bellamy Close, Edgware, although formal identification has yet to be completed.
He was a youth footballer with Queens Park Rangers and the London club's chairman, Gianni Paladini, paid tribute to "one of our brightest young talents".
Kiyan lived with his mother and 18-year-old sister and was of British/Afro-Caribbean nationality.
Detectives are keeping an open mind with regards to a motive for the attack and are continuing their enquiries following the opening of an incident room at Hendon police station.
"We have number of positive lines of enquiry that we are following up but we would like to hear from anyone that was in the area around half past three," said detective superintendent Steven Morgan, who is leading the murder inquiry.
"It was busy at that time and people have so far come forward but we would like to make sure that we have spoken to everyone," he added.
Meanwhile, Kiyan's headteacher has paid tribute to the "lovely" teenager who was "idolised" by other pupils at the school.
London Academy head Phil Hearne said: "When I had to announce to people that he was dead, I had very tough senior members of staff in tears."
"This was a lovely young man," he added.
"He was looked up to by youngsters here, terribly well respected, an extremely reliable, hard working, bright young man," the headteacher explained.
