Boy, 14, killed in sword attack on his way to school is named
The young boy who was fatally stabbed with a sword in Hainault has been identified locally as Daniel Anjorin.
The young boy who was fatally stabbed with a sword in Hainault has been identified locally as Daniel Anjorin.
The 14-year-old lost his life near Hainault Tube station yesterday morning when a man crashed his van and attacked five people in a random assault.
Daniel was a student at Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green, where Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a victim of a previous stabbing in Nottingham, had also attended.
Today, the school’s flag is flying at half-mast.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the assailant did not know the schoolboy.
The mother of the boy has been confirmed as a science teacher at Holy Family Catholic School in Waltham.
In a letter to parents, the school expressed, ‘Dear Parents/Carers, It is with great sadness that I share with you the news of the death of the child of one of our staff members.
‘Mrs Anjorin’s son was taken from this life suddenly this morning on his way to school. ‘Please keep Mrs Anjorin, her husband, and their other children in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.’
Ms. O’Malley-Kumar’s parents, appearing on Good Morning Britain, expressed their desire to support the boy’s family.
Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, her father, stated, ‘You can’t even imagine what the parents are going through. It’s the most difficult thing for the parents to endure. We’ve been enduring this for many months now.
‘I can tell you that the distraught the family are feeling is only felt by a few like us that have lost children in these absolutely appalling circumstances.’
Four other victims, including two police officers, are hospitalized but are expected to survive.
A 36-year-old man, arrested 22 minutes after the first emergency call, is still in the hospital, preventing officers from interviewing him due to his injuries.
James Fernando, a neighbor who witnessed the attack, recounted the moment when Daniel was killed.
He said the suspect asked a neighbor to ‘take the telephone from him to tell whoever was on the phone his location.’
He added, ‘Within two seconds after that, she’s realized something isn’t right, started running, and he’s pulled a samurai sword from the back of his trousers. ‘She’s shouted to the other neighbor – a Nigerian boy who was on his way to school. ‘It’s quite traumatizing now. I can’t stop envisioning the boy’s face.’
Footage shows police approaching him as he brandishes his weapon, before Tasering and arresting him.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell stated in an update yesterday, ‘It is with great sadness that I confirm one of those injured in the incident, a 14-year-old boy, has died from their injuries.
‘He was taken to the hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after. The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers.’
Witnesses have described the moment they saw a man armed with a huge sword walking from house to house.
Manpreet Singh, manager of Redbridge Radio Cars, witnessed the attack from the taxi firm’s office at Hainault Tube station.
Mr. Singh explained, ‘I saw about six or seven people going in and out of Franklyn Gardens and people coming up to the train station saying there was a guy with a machete.
‘It looked like there was one man who had stabbed someone and the other people in the street were bystanders on their way to work who had tried to fight him off.
‘A guy walked up the road who had been stabbed in his neck. He was saying “I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed” and walking towards the police.’
He continued, ‘Because of the size of the weapon, it looked like they tried to intervene but not been able to fight him off.
‘When we came out the police cars were there and the guy came running from Franklyn Gardens towards Thurlow Gardens. He tried to get into a house but there was a dog there. ‘He tried to get into another house but the police got him under control by tasering him.’
The Metropolitan Police stated they are not searching for additional suspects, and the incident ‘does not appear to be terror-related.’
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan remarked, ‘This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned.
‘I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm.
‘People will want to know what has happened and we will provide more information as soon as we can.’
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