Hainault stabbing: Tributes to Daniel Anjorin, 14, ‘murdered by sword-wielding man’ in rampage as he walked to school
TRIBUTES have been paid to a 14-year-old boy allegedly murdered by a sword-wielding man in a terrifying rampage that left four others injured.
Daniel Anjorin was knifed in his school uniform in Hainault, East London, yesterday morning.
Tragically, his mum was seen screaming and had to be held back by police following the fatal stabbing.
It emerged today that Daniel attended Bancroft’s School in nearby Woodford Green.
Tragically, the school is the same establishment attended by Nottingham rampage victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.
The school was seen flying its flag at half-mast following the tragedy.
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’
- 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 at a pedestrians into a house
- Cops ruled out terrorism and are examining the suspect’s background
- Two officers were injured trying to restrain the man
Tributes have flooded in for Daniel, who was from a local church-going Nigerian family.
Grace’s family also offered their support, with her dad Dr Sanjoy Kumar leading tributes.
He said: “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.”
Locals who saw the boy walking to school every morning also described how he was left in a pool of blood following the horror.
They also told how Daniel’s mum told police she had only spoken to her son “a minute ago” before he was stabbed.
Sandra said: “My daughter was about to go out. I said ‘It’s time you go out to school’, then she heard the screaming.
“Not long after I heard a scream which came from the mum. My neighbour saw her running and then she dropped and had to be held back by police.”
While another neighbour said: “My son is a physio and he ran out to see if he could try to help the boy but police and paramedics were already there.
“I remember seeing him pretending to use the wheel of his dad’s new Toyota on the drive three or four years ago.
“I say hello to his parents coming and going. They are very nice people. It is awful.”
The horror unfolded yesterday just before 7am when the suspect rammed a van into a home in Laing Close.
Terrifying footage then showed him prowling the streets armed with a huge sword as he yelled out: “Do you believe in God?”
He then allegedly began slashing at innocent passers-by at random, including Daniel as he walked to school.
Around 12 minutes after he unleashed the rampage, police swarmed the area – as further footage showed the man standing on a garage.
He was eventually arrested on suspicion of murder after being Tasered in Thurlow Gardens at 7.16am – 22 minutes after the attack began.
Police confirmed two officers suffered significant injuries, while two members of the public were also treated in hospital.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said today one officer came close to losing her hand in the attack.
A male officer also suffered serious injuries to his hand, while he described the female officer’s wounds as “horrifically serious”.
Sir Mark said her hand was close to be severed and she had to spend “many, many hours” on the operating table.
The Met has quickly ruled out terrorism and said they believed the attack was not targeted.
The 36-year-old suspect has not yet been interviewed by police as he received treatment in hospital for injuries sustained from the van crash.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: “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.
- Additional reporting by Daniel Hammond, Tom Hussey and Emily-Jane Heap