A teenage boy was stabbed to death in a running brawl in a suburban high street. Two other youths were slashed as the fight raged through the centre of Purley, south of Croydon.
Paramedics battled to save the 19-year-old, named locally as Kye Manning, in the street. He died 40 minutes later, just before 10pm last night.
Diners at a Pizza Express were forced to leave through a rear door after the group clashed outside.
Witnesses likened the emergency response to the aftermath of a terror attack as a police cordon was thrown across much of the town centre.
Kye’s killing marks the sixth murder investigation opened in London in seven days, and brings the number of violent deaths to 74 this year.
Graham Laban, 52, a rough-sleeper who disarmed one of the knife suspects, said: “There was a lad standing near the dying boy carrying two kitchen knives. They were about eight inches long. I took them off him.”
Police today said a second teenager was in a stable condition with injuries that are not life-threatening. A third casualty was found close to nearby Purley rail station suffering a slash wound.
He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Two other male teenagers arrested nearby remained in custody on suspicion of possessing weapons.
Kye’s friends and family cleaned up blood and laid flowers at the spot where he died. A card on one tribute read: “RIP Kye, I’ll never forget you bro.” A friend said: “He was a beautiful boy, he loved his family. We are devastated.”
The latest killing came less than 24 hours after Leo Marcus, 22, was stabbed to death near his home in Kidbrooke, Greenwich.
A man in his forties was shot in Malvern Drive, Woodford Green, at around 11.10pm last night.
He remains in a critical condition. At 7.40am today, a man in his twenties was stabbed in Barking Road, Newham. His condition was not known.
Anyone with information on the Purley killing is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference Cad 8858/11Jul or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
