Police have arrested two teenagers following the tragic murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey who was found stabbed in a park in Warrington. The Year 11 pupil who attended Birchwood High School was fatally stabbed on Saturday afternoon at around 3:13pm in Linear Park, Culchetch.
A 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, both from the local area have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They currently remain in custody and are said to be assisting detectives with their investigation, the Liverpool Echo reports.
There had been suspicion that Brianna had been targeted because she was transgender but Cheshire Police have confirmed there was no evidence 'at this time' to suggest her murder was a 'hate crime'. Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans said: “A number of enquiries in relation to this incident are underway and we are doing all that we can to establish the exact circumstances of what has happened.
“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the circumstances surrounding Brianna’s death are hate related. Patrols have been stepped up in the local area and officers will remain in the Culcheth area to provide reassurance and address any concerns that residents may have.
“I would ask anyone who has any information, no matter how big or small, that they believe could help with our investigation to get in touch. We are also keen for people and businesses within the local community to check any CCTV or dashcam footage for anything that may aid our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 1476832 or contact the force's website. Alternatively, information can also be passed on to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.