The mother of a teenager stabbed to death outside a primary school has made an impassioned plea for an end to London’s knife violence epidemic.
Chima Osuji, 17, was fatally stabbed near to his home in Chingford, east London, on Easter Monday.
The 17-year-old music production student suffered a knife wound to the chest outside Longshaw primary school just before 9.30pm.
Members of the public, police and paramedics battled to save his life but the teenager, who friends said was a former pupil at the school, died at the scene.
A 16-year-old has been charged with his murder and was due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court today.
The victim’s mother Donnette Thomas visited the crime scene to see the flowers and messages left by his friends.
She told ITV News London: “He is only 17. It is children killing children - when is this going to stop? I just can’t believe it.
“He is my last child, my baby and I think this has just got to stop.”
She added: “You can see from the flowers he was such a lovely child. I am going to miss him. The whole family is distraught, we can’t believe it, we think it is a dream.
“What did he do to deserve this? Why? I just can’t believe it.”
Chima is one of eight teenagers in London to be attacked with knives in the past ten days. He is the first teenager to die from a knife attack this year.
Meanwhile a 17-year-old boy was fighting for life today after being shot in the head on a Tottenham industrial estate in north London.
Police were called to reports a male had been wounded in Norman Road at about 4.20am on Thursday.
Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found the teenager suffering gunshot injuries.
He has been taken to hospital for treatment where he remains in a critical condition. No arressts have been made.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “His next of kin has been informed. A crime scene remains in place.”
