A 16-year-old boy who was ‘stabbed in the face’ in front of horrified commuters at a London railway station in the ninth murder to plague the capital this year has been named by police as Louis Johnson.
Emergency services, including the London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance, scrambled to East Croydon station at 4.45pm yesterday afternoon.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics Louis was pronounced dead at the scene.
The force said the teenager entered the station via a ticket barrier on Monday afternoon and met the suspect ‘who immediately pulls out a knife and stabs him’.
He died a short while later. No-one has been arrested.
Tributes have since been paid to the teenager, with social media users saying it was a ‘tragic waste’.
A young woman who witnesses the incident today said that Louis was stabbed in the face.
The witness, from East Croydon, said: ‘I just passed through the ticket barrier and somebody was shouting and screaming.
The scene at East Croydon railway station where man has been stabbed to death. Forensics officers collect evidence on Monday evening
Police officers were stood next to a cordon which had been put in place close by to the station
A heavy police presence was seen at East Croydon station last night after Louis Johnson was killed
The map above shows where the various murders have happened in London so far this year
‘I don’t think he was stabbed in the body, I think he was stabbed in the face because he was holding his face and he was bleeding from the face.
‘At first I thought it was a joke but then I looked and he had blood on his face and hands so I don’t think he was stabbed in the body.’
The witness added that Louis had been screaming out in pain after the attack.
Another witness claimed they saw a man with a machete at the busy south London commuter station and then saw a person ‘slumped near the ticket office’ with ‘blood everywhere’.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Blackburn said: ‘This was a senseless killing at an extremely busy time of the day, and my thoughts are with Louis’s family at this painfully difficult time.
‘For such a young man to lose his life in these circumstances is truly devastating, and I would like to reassure everyone that a thorough investigation is well under way.
‘With that in mind, we continue to appeal for anyone with information to get in touch as a matter of urgency. The incident was over within a matter of 40 seconds, but I know many other passengers or members of the public would have seen what happened. If you have not already spoken with police, please get in touch.’
Social media users took to Facebook today where they paid tribute to the youngster, with many saying ‘rest in peace’.
Another user said: ‘At a boy at the start of adult life, such a senseless tragic waste. Thoughts are with his family and friends.’
One added: ‘Hope they catch them…. condolences to his family’.
Today a terrified shop worker described screams and panic from a busy London station where a 16-year-old boy was murdered in a brutal bloodbath stabbing.
Louis Johnson cried out and bent over in pain as he was stabbed by his attacker, said to be wielding a machete.
A store worker, who was serving a customer, heard the teen victim’s scream out from the bridge where he was fatally stabbed in a senseless 40 second attack at around 4.45pm yesterday (Mon).
One witness told MyLondon they saw a man with a machete and then a man slumped on the floor near the ticket office
| # | NAME | AGE | DATE | INCIDENT TIME | STREET | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Algar | 53 | Jan 3 | 4.57pm | Nowell Road | Barnes |
| 2 | Takieddine Boudhane | 30 | Jan 3 | 6.50pm | Charteris Road | Finsbury Park |
| 3 | Krasimir Kartikov | 60 | Jan 13 | 8.50am | Whitehorse Road | Croydon |
| 4 | Harinder Kumar | 22 | Jan 19 | 7.38pm | Elmstead Road | Seven Kings |
| 5 | Narinder Singh | 26 | Jan 19 | 7.38pm | Elmstead Road | Seven Kings |
| 6 | Baljit Singh | 34 | Jan 19 | 7.38pm | Elmstead Road | Seven Kings |
| 7 | Beverley Denahy | 61 | Jan 22 | 11.35pm | Waverley Avenue | Chingford |
| 8 | Unnamed man | 60s | Jan 24 | 11.29pm | Mount Pleasant Lane | Clapton |
| 9 | Louis Johnson | 16 | Jan 27 | 4.45pm | East Croydon station | Croydon |
She pulled down the shutters in fear and saw the knifeman flee onto the platform and possibly catch a train as commuters screamed in panic.
The woman, from East Croydon, said: ‘I saw the guy who was stabbed. He was screaming and shouting in pain. He was bent down, he was bleeding a lot.
‘He was not saying anything, he was just shouting. There were people helping him, he was surrounded by people.
‘Station staff were shouting and I pulled the shutters down because I was afraid the guy with the knife might come and do something to us.
‘He ran off down onto the platform. I think he got onto a train. I am not sure if it was the same guy. There seemed to be two other people who were shouting.
‘I was on the kiosk serving a customer when I first heard the shouting. There were so many customers at the time.’
Another local resident, who was visiting a station coffee shop this morning, said it is ‘all too common these days.’
He said: ‘It’s all too common these days. I think if you are found carrying a knife there should be an automatic prison sentence.’
A witness told MyLondon yesterday: ‘I was passed by someone with a machete when walking up to East Croydon station, as I reached the top of the stairs there was blood everywhere and a lad slumped in the ticket office by the barriers.
Police have launched a murder investigation after Louis was stabbed to death at East Croydon station
A forensics officer at the scene at East Croydon station on Monday evening after a young man was stabbed to death
London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted last night saying he is ‘deeply saddened to learn a young man has lost his life’
‘It didn’t look great, staff and security were on hand.’
Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams from BTP yesterday said: ‘Clearly this was a deeply shocking incident, outside a very busy transport hub in Croydon.
‘Tragically, a young man has lost his life tonight and I know this will be heart-breaking news for his family.
‘We have now launched a murder enquiry and I am urgently appealing for any witnesses to get in touch. We believe the assault happened near the back entrance to East Croydon station near Ruskin Square, shortly after 4.30pm.
‘If you were in the area and witnessed any altercation, please contact us as soon as possible’.
The force also authorised additional Section 60 Stop and Search powers.
Rail services and Tramlink into East Croydon were not disrupted by the incident and continue to run as normal.
A cordon remains in place at East Croydon station and no arrests have been made at this time.
A post mortem examination will take place in the coming days.
BTP will be increasing patrols in the East Croydon area to help reassure the travelling public.
Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 395 of 27/01/2020. Or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
- William Algar, 53, Jan-03, Barnes
- Takieddine Boudhane, 30, Jan-03, Finsbury Park
- Krasimir Kartikov, 60, Jan-13, Croydon
- Harinder Kumar, 22, Jan-19, Seven Kings
- Narinder Singh, 26, Jan-19, Seven Kings
- Baljit Singh, 34, Jan-19, Seven Kings
- Beverley Denahy, 61, Jan-22, Chingford
- Unnamed man, 60s, Jan-24, Clapton
- Louis Johnson, 16, Jan-27, Croydon