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Teenager dies after knife attack Teenager dies after knife attack
(about 2 hours later)
A teenager has died after being stabbed in a street attack in south London. A teenager has died after being stabbed in a street in south London.
Shakilus Townsend, 16, from Deptford, south-east London, suffered multiple knife wounds but no weapon has been recovered from the scene.Shakilus Townsend, 16, from Deptford, south-east London, suffered multiple knife wounds but no weapon has been recovered from the scene.
Officers were called to Beulah Crescent in Thornton Heath shortly before 1400 BST on Thursday.Officers were called to Beulah Crescent in Thornton Heath shortly before 1400 BST on Thursday.
The victim was taken to hospital but he died shortly after midnight. He is the 18th teenager to be murdered in London in 2008. The teenager was taken to hospital but he died shortly after midnight. He is the 18th teenager to be murdered in London in 2008.
Spate of stabbings
An air ambulance was scrambled but the victim was eventually taken to hospital by road after being treated at the scene.An air ambulance was scrambled but the victim was eventually taken to hospital by road after being treated at the scene.
The attack comes in a week which has seen a spate of stabbings in the capital. People living in Beulah Crescent said they tried desperately to save Shakilus.
On Sunday 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was knifed to death in Islington. This is another senseless incident in which a young life has been taken away by a knife Det Ch Insp Cliff Lyons
Later that day the bodies of French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, were found with more than 240 stab wounds after a flat fire in New Cross, south-east London. Dee Bamina, 35, tried to stem the bleeding from a wound to his chest with a bath towel after another neighbour brought him into the communal doorway of her block of flats.
On Monday Tunisian national Hamouda Bessaad was stabbed to death on Old Kent Road, south-east London, while Dee Willis, 28, died after a knife attack in Peckham the following day. She said: "I think a group of boys must have been after the boy. All I heard was them saying 'get him from the other side'."
Ms Bamina saw a gang of four or five boys aged 15 to 19 with scarves covering their faces. One had a baseball bat. A girl was also with them, she said.
She said the boy was saying "I don't want to die" and "where's my mum, I want my mum".
EastEnders star
Det Ch Insp Cliff Lyons who is leading the investigation, said: "This is another senseless incident in which a young life has been taken away by a knife.
"Given that this happened outside a block of flats in broad daylight, I am certain there are people who will have witnessed this murder."
No suspects have yet been arrested, police said. If we are serious about tackling the problem of juvenile violence, it makes sense to understand what it is we are dealing with Mark Easton BBC Home Editor Read Mark's thoughts in full
Shakilus was attacked four days after 16-year-old Ben Kinsella, the brother of former EastEnders star Brooke Kinsella, was knifed to death in Islington, north London.
Three teenagers were appearing in court on Friday charged with his murder.
Later the same day, the bodies of French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, both 23, were found riddled with knife wounds after a flat fire in New Cross, south east London.
Tunisian national Hamouda Bessaad, 34, was stabbed to death on Old Kent Road, south east London, on Monday, while Dee Willis, 28, died after a knife attack in Peckham a day later.
Earlier this week Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and mayor Boris Johnson pledged to continue the struggle to persuade youngsters to stop carrying weapons.