A 14-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed to de@th on a London bus in Woolwich has been identified as an online rapper known as “Grippa”.
The teen was stabbed in front of horrified passengers of the 472 bus towards Abbey Wood in what police called a “horrendous crime”.
Emergency services raced to the street in Woolwich just before 2:30pm on Tuesday, Jan. 7, where a number of police cars and ambulances surrounded the red double-decker bus.
Heartbroken friends of Grippa – who has also been named locally as Kelyan – took to social media to share their tributes, saying he was “taken too soon”, with many re-posting videos of the aspiring rapper in his latest track released on Christmas Day titled “Bangers & Mash”.
A manhunt is now underway to trace the attacker, with no arrests made so far.
Police say the stabbing took place while the bus was on Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
Paramedics treated the boy at the scene, but despite their best efforts couldn’t save him.
He was a pupil at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath, south east London.
Arriving at the police cordon yesterday, a friend of the boy broke down in tears as he told The Mirror: “That’s my friend. He’s my good friend. I used to see him after school, he didn’t deserve this. He was a nice person. I finished school and my mum told me he got stabbed. He was a very nice person. He was good at football, but I don’t think he was perusing it as a career.”
Superintendent Louise Sargent, the borough commander for Woolwich, described the incident as a “horrendous crime” as she arrived on scene to deliver a statement. She said: “I am very sad to say that this afternoon a 14-year-old boy has died following an incident in Woolwich. Police were called just before 2.30pm to a report of a stabbing on a bus.
“The incident occurred on a route 472 bus on Woolwich Church Street. Officers attended with London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance. The initial alert was made by a police officer out on patrol.
“Paramedics treated a 14-year-old boy at the scene who had received stab wounds. But really sadly he died shortly after medics arrived. Our thoughts at this time are with the victim’s family and friends. This is a horrendous crime and I cannot imagine what they must be going though right now.
“No arrests have been made at this early stage, but we are working at pace to identify and arrest those involved. Police cordons and road closures will remain in place while we continue to carry out enquiries. I know this will be a worrying time for everyone here in Woolwich, and all the more so given the very young age of the victim. The community can expect to see an enhanced police presence around the scene and the surrounding area.”