Boy, 14, killed in sword attack was ‘talented’ & went to same school as Nottingham victim Grace as flag flown half mast
A “TALENTED” 14-year-old boy killed in a horrifying sword attack went to the same school as Nottingham victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.
The teen boy, named locally as Daniel Anjorin, was one of five people – including two cops – caught up in the terrifying Hainault frenzy when a suspect, 36, prowled the streets with a “Samurai sword”.
The teen boy attended Bancroft’s School, in Woodford Green, where Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was also a pupil.
The east London school, which has been hit by two knifing tragedies, has today put all of their flags at half-mast to pay their respects to the “academic and bright” child.
Bancroft’s did the same when former pupil and University of Nottingham student Grace was horrifically stabbed by Valdo Calocane last year.
Grace’s parents Sinead O’Malley and dad Dr Sanjoy Kumar previously slammed the government and urged them to do more regarding knife crime.
Her dad Sanjoy has now paid tribute to the 14-year-old boy.
He said: “We believe the lad was a talented young man, academic and bright.
“We wouldn’t have much to say apart from the fact that knife crime is totally out of control and the government needs to step in immediately with legislation about knife sales and tougher penalties for knife carrying.”
In a note on the school website, they said of the boy’s death: “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.”
Police yesterday chased the alleged attacker through gardens before he was floored by three 50,000-volt Taser bolts.
A 36-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of murder. The suspect was last night under guard in hospital.
Video shows the moment he was injured when he crashed his Ford van into a house before the carnage in Hainault, North East London.
The clip, shot on a doorbell camera shows the van, slamming into a pedestrian as blood-curdling screams were heard.
The man then got out of the smoking van carrying a 2ft ornamental sword.
He was covered in blood. He never stood a chance
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One witness recalled trying to warn the teen boy, who onlookers say was in school uniform, moments before he was tragically slashed.
Aiste Dabasinskaaite had just left her home when the man in a yellow hoodie approached her after ploughing his vehicle into another property.
She said he asked her for an address before moving “closer towards me” and brandishing the weapon.
Speaking to ITV, Aiste said: “He put his foot on my foot so I couldn’t back off and then that’s when he like drew out the sword.
“It was arm’s length. It was honestly petrifying. I just ran down the road, I didn’t even look back to see if he was chasing me.”
As she fled from the suspected attacker’s grip, Aiste noticed the schoolboy leave his home and put headphones in.
Aiste added: “Because he had his headphones on I don’t think he heard either of us.
“It was sort of a moment where we just went from shouting to just blankness, just felt empty.”
James Fernando, 39, said the suspect had the “massive sword” in one hand and was using a phone with the other asking for the fire brigade.
Sadiq Khan accused of downplaying knife crime
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been accused of downplaying knife crime in the capital just days before the horrifying Hainault attacks.
He was last week challenged by Conservative rival Susan Hall over gang violence at night as cops report an all-time high in cases.
Mr Khan responded: “Stop watching The Wire – we’re not living in Baltimore, USA, in the noughties.”
A spokesman for Mr Khan said he was “challenging misinformation” and is looking to invest nearly £200m into policing following a surge in murders.
It comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS), say 14,577 knife crimes were recorded by the Met Police in 2023.
Shockingly, that is the same as nearly 40-a-day. This was up more than 20 per cent compared to 2022 figures.
The spokesperson for the Mayor added: “Sadiq was challenging some of the misinformation being spread by some of his opponents about London, including footage of an attack in New York to try and paint a very bleak picture of London.
“Keeping Londoners safe is Sadiq’s number one priority, and he is investing a record £151 million in this year’s budget for policing and crime prevention and tackling the causes of crime by investing in youth clubs, against a backdrop of massive cuts by the Tory Government.”
However, critics of Khan have blamed the increase on the cuts to stop and searches in London.
Khan previously vowed to “do all in my power to further cut its use” after fears cops were using the power to disproportionately search ethnic minorities.
The Mayor said it was undermining the public’s confidence in police.
He said the attacker stepped on a woman neighbour’s foot to stop her moving but she ran.
James added: “As the boy was ten metres from the door, the woman screamed to warn him that the man had a sword.
“As he’s turned round he’s waved the sword and it struck him in the face. He was dead on the spot.”
Another added: “He was covered in blood. He never stood a chance.”
Petrifying videos from witnesses near Hainault Tube Station, east London, show a man clutching the huge blade and roaming the streets as people “shrieked” in horror.
As cops swarmed to the scene, James said the attacker was still running around with the sword looking for more victims.
Another video clip showed the first police car arriving and the maniac shouting: “Is there anybody here who believes in God?”
Two officers were injured trying to restrain the man. One female officer almost had her hand severed.
It comes as:
- The alleged sword manic yelled ‘Do you believe in God?’ as he lunged at targets
- Horrified witnesses said the teenage boy was covered in blood and ‘never stood a chance’
- Locals say the boy came from a Nigerian family
- Police chased the attacker through gardens before he was floored by three Tasers
- A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder
- He was injured when he crashed his Ford van into a pedestrian and house
- Cops ruled out terrorism and are examining the suspect’s background
- Two officers were injured trying to restrain the man
This morning Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC one male officer has serious injuries to his hand, while a female colleague was in surgery for several hours yesterday after suffering “horrifically serious” wounds to her arm.
He added: “I was talking to the family and colleagues of the woman officer who has a really badly damaged arm, really seriously damaged, the surgeon spent many hours basically putting her arm back to together.”
Asked about reports she nearly lost her hand in the attack, Sir Mark said they were “not a million miles away”.
Police ruled out terrorism and were examining the suspect’s background to establish a motive.
They said the boy was not known to the attacker.
Met Police said they were called around 7am to reports a vehicle had been driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell yesterday revealed the heartbreaking news that one of the victims has died in hospital.
He said: “It is with great sadness that I confirm that one of those injured in the incident, a 14-year-old boy, has died from their injuries.
“He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after.
Heroism of Hainault police officers revealed
HAINAULT cops have been hailed heroes after they stopped yesterday’s sword-wielding maniac – leaving two of them “seriously injured”.
Two police officers, a man and a woman, were still in hospital this morning after they were struck with the 2ft weapon.
The female officer is said to be close to losing her hand, while her colleague is thought to be on the mend after surgery on his.
But the pair’s fellow cops have too been celebrated – after footage showed them running toward the alleged attacker, before Tasering him.
The man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a schoolboy, 14, died amid the rampage.
The Met Police officers arrived at the Thurlow Gardens area within 12 minutes of getting the first call – and arrested the alleged killer 10 minutes later.
They have now been hailed heroes for putting themselves at risk to protect their community.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley this morning said the female cop whose hand was almost severed spent “many, many hours” on the operating table yesterday.
The cop told LBC: “So, we were on the ground in 12 minutes and he was detained after 22 minutes. Obviously, some of the first contacts led to officers being very severely injured.
“People say officers run towards danger. What you’ve actually seen on some of the videos that are out on social media and on news sites such as your own, you actually see what that actually looks like. You’ve got officers running towards someone who’s waving a sword.
“I went to the hospital yesterday to see the officers and their families. I saw the inspector whose hand IS badly damaged. I saw him before the operation, he was in good spirits. I think that was partly the morphine, to be honest. But he’s got a lot of patching up to be done on his hand.”
PC Rwoley added: “I find it humbling they will run towards danger, but that’s not a glib phrase, that’s real. They are charging towards somebody with a sword.
“They are putting themselves at risk. [They do that] because they are so connected to the idea it’s their job to protect the public and they do that day in and day out.
“Meanwhile, every day in London on average 19 officers are injured. Nineteen officers a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That’s the background.”
“The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers and everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time.”
Commander Bell described the incident as “truly horrific”.
“I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling,” he said.
“My thoughts are with the injured, their families and the wider community as we all begin to come to terms with what has happened and try to understand what has happened here.
“I know that there will be clearly and understandably a desire for answers and an explanation to what happened.
“Our investigation is in its very early stages and my officers are working right now to establish the full facts as a priority.”
Commander Bell continued: “I want to confirm at present that we do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider public and we’re not seeking any other persons.
“The incident does not appear to be linked to any act of terrorism.
“We do not believe this to be a targeted attack and we are establishing the circumstances at the moment.”
The force is now urging anyone with information to contact 101.