A 15-year-old has been named as the victim in Tuesday night’s stabbing Pic: unsplash.com (Flickr)
A boy who was stabbed to death in Thornton Heath on Tuesday night has been named as 15-year-old Jermaine Goupall.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to Georgia Road and found Goupall suffering from stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before midnight.
First picture of murdered schoolboy Jermaine Goupall. Schoolboy stabbed to death on way home from cinema https://t.co/aP7BvSeGgs pic.twitter.com/K0ZQCLBzLd
— Simon Harris (@simonharrisitv) August 9, 2017
Jermaine Goupall was the second teenager to be killed in a knife attack in London in less than 24 hours. A 19-year-old boy was also stabbed to death in Peckham hours earlier.
A murder investigation has been launched and police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident.
Detective Chief Inspector Tony Lynes said: “I am keen to hear from anyone who has information concerning the series of events that led up to this murder.
“We know that there were a number of people in the area and I appeal to them to come forward and speak with police about what they may have seen.
“At this early stage we retain an open mind as to motive and even if a piece of information seems insignificant, it may provide a vital piece of the puzzle for our investigation.”
Detectives have confirmed the identity of the teenager and informed his family although a formal identification has not yet been made.
A crime scene tent remained at the scene on Wednesday afternoon while uniformed officers kept watch.
Police responded to 21,365 knife crimes in London last year with 1,026 of those incidents in Croydon. The borough is among the top five for worst knife crime in the capital.
Alison Butler, Deputy Leader of Croydon Council, said: “I am devastated to hear another young man has lost his life to knife crime, and my thoughts are with the victim’s family. This is happening all too frequently both in Croydon and across London – enough is enough.
“Croydon Council is continuing to work closely with the police and local communities to combat this wave of knife crime, but our young people must also work with us. I urge them to do the right thing, put down their knives and choose the right path to their future.”
The victim’s father, Stanley Goupall, said he was “adored by his family, friends, and the community”. Locals have paid tribute to the boy by setting flowers by the crime scene.
Flowers left at the scene in Croydon for 15-year-old stab victim Jermaine Goupall pic.twitter.com/7MyYO0K1U0
— Ryan Hooper (@RyanJHooper) August 9, 2017
Police said no arrests have been made.
