A 14-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed to death in broad daylight in London yesterday has been named as Kelyan Bokassa.
Bokassa died shortly after the knife attack on a 472 double-decker bus on Church Street in Woolwich, southeast London, on Tuesday.
Speaking to the BBC, his mother Mary Bokassa said he was “kind”, loved music, was talented at drawing, and cared about the people around him.
Mary added that Kelyan was articulate and loved football.
Mary also spoke to The Sun – and said her son had been “exposed to drugs” before his death.
“He was very polite. He was interested in football and was a supporter of Arsenal,” she said.
Speaking to the BBC, his mother Mary Bokassa said Kelyan was ‘kind’ and loved music
BBC/MARY BOKASSA
“We had to move around and he was in care, he was there for four years with no progress. I begged for contact with my son. I had to get the support of a lawyer. He was missing for a year and was living on the street.
“He finally turned up at my doorstep, he was sick, underweight and tattooed.”
Mary said her son was then “taken advantage of” by local gangs – and his exposure to drugs left him feeling “not himself”.
“My son and others were taken advantage by gangs. They were groomed,” she said.
“He lived in the streets for a year after he ran away from the children’s home. But when he came home wrote graffiti on the balcony to say he loved me.”
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Police, paramedics and the London Air Ambulance had descended on the scene just after 2.30pm yesterday after a police officer on patrol raised the alarm.
Though medics tried to treat the 14-year-old’s injuries, he died soon afterwards.
Police said they were working “at pace” to find his killers – but no arrests have yet been made.
Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police’s Chief Superintendent Louise Sargent called the crime “horrendous” before giving her condolences to the boy’s family.
Chief Superintendent Louise Sargent called the crime ‘horrendous’
GB NEWS
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and a paramedic from our tactical response unit.
“We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.
“Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.”
And one eyewitness – a woman working at a nearby church – said she saw an air ambulance and other emergency vehicles arrive at the scene, but did not see any of the passengers from the bus.
The public have been urged to call police on 101 quoting reference number 3795 of January 7, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.