South London murder equals highest ever annual number of teenage homicides in the capital

A murder investigation is underway after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in a park in South London.

The killing is the 29th teenage homicide in London in 2021, equalling the previous record in the capital in 2008.

Police officers were called to Ashburton Park, Croydon shortly after 7pm on Thursday.

They gave first aid to the boy before the ambulance service arrived but he was pronounced dead at 7.36 pm.

Formal identification has yet to take place, but the victim’s family have been told. A post-mortem examination will be held later.

No arrests have yet been made.

Met Police Commander Alex Murray said: “I am deeply saddened by every single homicide this year, and greatly concerned by those that have been teenage killings. Each one is a tragedy leaving behind heartbroken families and distressed communities.

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“My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted. They are not statistics, not just numbers, they all have families, and they all should have had their lives ahead of them.

“They and their families have been robbed of something precious and we should all be doing everything we can to stop this,” he said.

He added that the police were devoting “huge resources” to preventing homicides and said the Met was not “complacent” about knife crime.

Police have asked anyone with information to call them via 101 quoting reference CAD 5443/30Dec.

To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

19 January: Anas Mezenner, 17, found with stab wounds in West Green Road, Haringey.

25 January: Romario Opia, 15, was found stabbed in Holland Walk, Islington.

11 February: Hani Solomon, 18, was killed during a fight between two groups of men shortly after 6.30pm in Ackmar Road, Fulham.

18 February: Drekwon Patterson, 16, London, was stabbed in Preston Road, Brent.

26 February: Ahmed Beker, 19, was stabbed in Paddington Green.

3 March: Tai Jordan O’Donnell, 19, bled to death after being stabbed a number of times in the legs at a house in Alpha Road, Croydon.

6 March: Mazaza Owusu-Mensah, 18, died when he was stabbed in the chest during a fight in Edington Road, Abbey Wood.

6 March: Ezra Okobia, 14, was fatally injured by fumes from a fire at his home in Russett Way, Lewisham.

8 March: Nikolay Vandev, 19, was stabbed in Penshurst Road, Tottenham

17 March: Hussain Chaudhry, 18, was stabbed in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow.

10 April: Levi Ernest-Morrison, 17, was stabbed in Sydenham Road, Sydenham.

23 April: Fares Maatou, 14, was stabbed in Barking Road, Newham.

26 April: Abubakkar “Junior” Jah, 18, was found in Coolfin Road, Newham. He had been shot and stabbed.

7 May: Daniel Laskos, 16, was stabbed in Church Road, Harold Wood.

8 June: Taylor Cox, 19, was shot in Hornsey Rise Gardens, Islington.

10 June: Denardo Samuels-Brooks, 17, was stabbed in Prentis Road, Streatham.

11 June: Jalan Woods-Bell, 15, was stabbed in a fight during the school run in Blyth Road, Hayes

25 June: Tashawn Watt, 19, was stabbed in Miall Walk, Sydenham.

1 July: Camron Smith, 16, was stabbed in Bracken Avenue, Shrublands, Croydon.

5 July: Tamim Ian Habimana, 15, was stabbed in Woolwich.

5 July: Keane Flynn-Harling, 16, was stabbed in Oval Place.

9 July: Damarie Omare Roye, 16, was stabbed in Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath.

1 August: Stelios Averkiou, 16, was stabbed at a skate park in Lordship Recreation Ground, Tottenham.

1 September: Alex Ajanaku, 18, was found in Beaumont Road, Leyton, east London, with shotgun wounds.

12 October: Hazrat Wali, 18, was stabbed to death in a playing field in Craneford Way, Twickenham.

28 October: Kamran Khalid, 18, was stabbed to death in Harrow Road, Ilford.

18 November: Jermaine Cools, 14, suffered stab wounds and died after a fight in London Road in Croydon.

24 November: Rishmeet Singh, 16, stabbed in a fight in Raleigh Road, Southall.

30 December: 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ashburton Park, Croydon.

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