A 14-year-old boy killed in a stabbing rampage on a suburban east London street has been identified as Daniel Anjorin.
Daniel, the son of a teacher, was knifed to death on his way to school when a sword-wielding man launched his dawn attack in Hainault on Tuesday, leaving four others injured.
He is understood to have attended the private Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green, the same school attended by Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who was killed by Valdo Calocane in his knife attack in Nottingham in June last year.
Headteacher Simon Marshall wrote to parents expressing “great sadness and shock” at Daniel’s death. He described the teenager as a “much-loved” member of the school, the BBC reported. He added: “Our thoughts and prayers at this moment are with Daniel’s family and friends.
“More details will be forthcoming over the coming hours and days, but for now, our focus is on supporting the members of our community and particularly those who knew Daniel well.”
The statement went on: “It seems scarcely believable that less than a year on from the terrible death of Grace O’Malley-Kumar in the Nottingham attacks, we are facing fresh sorrow.”
Two police officers underwent surgery for serious injuries after they tried to stop the attack, while two members of the public also remain in hospital. None of their injuries is thought to be life-threatening, although Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said some of the officers were left “very severely injured”, with a female police officer close to losing her hand.
A 36-year-old suspect was cornered by officers and tasered before being arrested on suspicion of murder. He was also taken to hospital, after suffering injuries when his van collided with a house shortly before 7am. Detectives are not treating the attack as terror-related but have so far been unable to interview the suspect.
A witness said the man was shouting at the police “Do you believe in God?” before being overpowered in a driveway. Doorbell camera footage captured the moment officers bravely confronted the man, who was wearing a yellow hoodie, and wielding a samurai-style sword.
The school where Daniel’s mother worked as a teacher, Holy Family School in Walthamstow, said in a statement: “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.”
James Fernando, 39, who lives in nearby Laing Close, said he saw the teenage victim being struck. “It’s quite traumatising now,” he said. “I can’t stop envisioning the boy’s face.” Another onlooker feared he may have been on his way to school when he was injured.
Sir Mark told LBC: “For the parents involved, who’ve lost their 14-year-old, that is just horrific, and it’s everyone’s worst nightmare. I’m sure we’re all thinking about them.”
King Charles offered his condolences to the teenager’s loved ones, with a spokesperson saying: “His thoughts and prayers are with all those affected – in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life.”
Witnesses spoke of their horror after the swordsman crashed a van into the side of a house before allegedly “lurking” outside front doors armed with the weapon.
A terrified neighbour told The Independent he woke to the sound of a “huge crash” and saw the van had ploughed into the side of the house opposite, close to Hainault tube station. Another witness who went to check on the driver was attacked, the neighbour said.
“The driver then got back in his car and reversed out the side of the house to drive up the back road opposite where it all started kicking off. People were running and screaming,” he said. “You can see he stabbed multiple people up this road. He was lurking outside people’s houses wielding a samurai sword. He then walked back down the road while people ran and screamed as he was waving his samurai sword threatening civilians and walked past my house.”
Another resident from Laing Close relived the moment she hid inside her home as the suspect shouted “do you believe in God” outside, while an injured person lay on the ground nearby.
“He was wielding his sword trying to attack the police but then they sprayed him and he ran away,” she said. “He was shouting at the police ‘do you believe in God?’, also at the ambulance. We were very scared and trying to hide and not show ourselves through the window, because he was standing right next to our house and he could have seen us if he looked up.”
The King, who returned to official duties on Tuesday for the first time since he announced his cancer diagnosis in early February, also paid tribute to the courage of the emergency responders who helped contain the “horrific” incident. A spokesperson said: “He salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation.”
Prime minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute to the bravery of emergency services, adding: “Such violence has no place on our streets.”
As business secretary Kemi Badenoch accused London mayor Sadiq Khan of not taking knife crime seriously, a spokesperson for Mr Khan accused her of “seeking to politicise the awful murder of a child”. Sources said the Metropolitan Police budget, which is mostly set by the Home Office, had seen significant real-terms cuts since 2010, and that funding for preventative services had also been reduced.
Miss O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said the boy’s loved ones would be distraught. “It’s absolutely appalling. You can’t even imagine what the parents are going through. This is just the most difficult thing for any parents to endure,” he said.
“It’s something that we’ve endured now for many months, and I can tell you that the distraught that the family are feeling is only felt by a few like us who have lost children in these absolutely appalling circumstances.”
Her mother, Dr Sinead O’Malley, said: “I don’t think there’s anything anybody can say that can really do anything to alleviate their hurt and their pain.”
She added: “All we can do is empathise and hope that they’ll heal with time. But the hurt never goes away.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
