While police continue to look into the ‘gang’ murder of another juvenile boy two days earlier, a teenager was stabbed to death on a popular high street in broad daylight.
At around 2.15 on Saturday, Ghulam Sadiq, 18, was stabbed outside a pizzeria on Leytonstone High Road in east London.
He received immediate first aid, but a short while later, he was declared dead at the site.
Police have not yet made any arrests in relation to the passing of Mr. Sadiq, who is believed to have resided nearby.
A special post mortem will be conducted in due course, and his family has been informed and is receiving help from specialized personnel.
Mr Sadiq’s death comes amid a wave of violence across London after five people were stabbed during a four-day flurry of knife crime.
One of these was the Thursday stabbing of a 15-year-old boy in an Islington park.
While being consoled by policemen as he lay bleeding next to a playground in Highbury Fields, north London, the kid told police, “I’m dying.”
He was given first aid at the site by paramedics and sent to the hospital, but he passed away shortly after.
The Met’s Specialist Crime Command’s Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley said today: “Our warmest condolences are with Ghulam’s family as they adjust to this awful loss, which no family should have to go through.
‘He was attacked in broad daylight on the busy High Road on a summer Saturday afternoon. I know this will shock and appal the local community and I want to assure them we will do all we can to identify and bring to justice those responsible.
‘The area is likely to have been busy at the time of the incident. I would appeal to anyone who saw anything at all of note to come forward and speak to us.
‘Did you see the attack itself? Did you see an altercation? Did you see anyone acting unusually or in a way which aroused your suspicions? Might you have dashcam footage from being in the area around that time? We want to hear from you. No piece of information is too insignificant.
‘I would also like to thank the local businesses and residents impacted by the road closures around the crime scene for their patience and cooperation while we carry out our this vital initial phase of our investigation.
‘We will work as thoroughly and efficiently as we can.’
A statement from the force added: ‘A murder investigation has been launched following a fatal stabbing in Leytonstone.
‘Police were called to High Road, E11 at 2.15pm on Saturday following reports that a man had been stabbed.
‘Officers attended and gave urgent first aid until the arrival of the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance.
‘Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been named as 18-year-old Ghulam Sadiq who was from the local area.’
Following 14 fatalities since the beginning of July, London is still being affected by a summertime crime wave that has spread throughout the city.
It comes after Wednesday night’s three additional stabbings in the city.
On Wednesday, August 3, at 4:20 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in Ilford, east London, in front of a Royal Mail sorting facility on Chadwick Road.
Three hours later, at 6.30 p.m., a second kid was stabbed on Eltham High Street in south-east London.
A third stabbing occurred in south London at Lewisham station at about 10.38 p.m.
A significant increase in fraud, rape, and violent attacks was the primary cause of the police forces in England and Wales recording the highest number of offenses in 20 years, it was revealed last month.
The number of crimes reported in the year ending in March 2022 was 6.3 million, which is 4% more than the 6.1 million crimes reported in the previous record-setting year of 2019–20.
Additionally, it was up 16% from 2020–21, when Covid–19 lockdown limits had an impact on crime rates.