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| Murder hunt launched after Pimlico stabbing | Murder hunt launched after Pimlico stabbing |
| (7 days later) | |
| Police are conducting a murder hunt after a teenager was fatally attacked in the middle of a busy road by a knife-wielding gang in central London. | Police are conducting a murder hunt after a teenager was fatally attacked in the middle of a busy road by a knife-wielding gang in central London. |
| The 16-year-old boy, named locally as Hani Abou El Kheir, was stabbed in the chest on Sunday evening just 100 yards from his home on the Churchill Gardens estate beside the bank of the river Thames in Pimlico, Westminster. | The 16-year-old boy, named locally as Hani Abou El Kheir, was stabbed in the chest on Sunday evening just 100 yards from his home on the Churchill Gardens estate beside the bank of the river Thames in Pimlico, Westminster. |
| One witnesses to the incident said they saw a group of males carrying kitchen knives jump on the victim, "like a pack of dogs". | One witnesses to the incident said they saw a group of males carrying kitchen knives jump on the victim, "like a pack of dogs". |
| A resident on the estate said the boy, who recently graduated from the nearby Pimlico Academy secondary school, lay in a huge pool of blood on the street for almost an hour as ambulance teams tried to save his life. | A resident on the estate said the boy, who recently graduated from the nearby Pimlico Academy secondary school, lay in a huge pool of blood on the street for almost an hour as ambulance teams tried to save his life. |
| Speaking to reporters one witness said: "We were walking along and saw him [El Kheir] running really fast but then he tripped. There were about 15 of them, most wearing dark hoodies and bandanas over their faces. A lot of them were wearing tracksuits." | Speaking to reporters one witness said: "We were walking along and saw him [El Kheir] running really fast but then he tripped. There were about 15 of them, most wearing dark hoodies and bandanas over their faces. A lot of them were wearing tracksuits." |
| "They had wide kitchen knives and other knives and they jumped on him like a pack of dogs. He was shouting 'don't do it' but they just went ahead. | "They had wide kitchen knives and other knives and they jumped on him like a pack of dogs. He was shouting 'don't do it' but they just went ahead. |
| "One put a blade in near his ribs. Others then kicked him before just jogging off as if nothing had happened. They put their weapons in socks and then shoved them up their sleeves as they were going. | "One put a blade in near his ribs. Others then kicked him before just jogging off as if nothing had happened. They put their weapons in socks and then shoved them up their sleeves as they were going. |
| "Afterwards they looked calm, one looked straight at me as he was leaving which was scary – we thought they may go for us. We tried to help him as he was lying on the ground," the witness told the Evening Standard. | "Afterwards they looked calm, one looked straight at me as he was leaving which was scary – we thought they may go for us. We tried to help him as he was lying on the ground," the witness told the Evening Standard. |
| Claims that the gang were carrying a sword were not later verified. | Claims that the gang were carrying a sword were not later verified. |
| Another witness, 22-year-old Teodor Watson, who lives in a tower block overlooking the scene in Lupus Street, Pimlico said he heard what sounded like a brawl just before 7pm. | Another witness, 22-year-old Teodor Watson, who lives in a tower block overlooking the scene in Lupus Street, Pimlico said he heard what sounded like a brawl just before 7pm. |
| "I came outside just seconds after it happened because I heard a lot of commotion, the victim was shouting. | "I came outside just seconds after it happened because I heard a lot of commotion, the victim was shouting. |
| "I saw the victim standing and holding his stomach and about three or four young blokes running down the street. | "I saw the victim standing and holding his stomach and about three or four young blokes running down the street. |
| "He was reeling and swaying and stumbling for about 20 seconds. He had his head down and was holding his stomach and then fell. People started gathering and calling the ambulance and that was pretty much it. | "He was reeling and swaying and stumbling for about 20 seconds. He had his head down and was holding his stomach and then fell. People started gathering and calling the ambulance and that was pretty much it. |
| "I'm just surprised it happened right in my front door step. I always had the impression that Pimlico was a quiet area. | "I'm just surprised it happened right in my front door step. I always had the impression that Pimlico was a quiet area. |
| "He was white, all the other boys who were running down street were white. They took a long time to stabilise him maybe 20 minutes, half an hour. | "He was white, all the other boys who were running down street were white. They took a long time to stabilise him maybe 20 minutes, half an hour. |
| "The wound was huge, I live on the fifth floor and I could see it from here." | "The wound was huge, I live on the fifth floor and I could see it from here." |
| On Monday, the murder scene, just in front of row of Victorian stucco terraced houses, was covered by a tent whilst forensic investigators searched for evidence. | On Monday, the murder scene, just in front of row of Victorian stucco terraced houses, was covered by a tent whilst forensic investigators searched for evidence. |
| A Churchill Gardens resident said she came to the door after her husband called her to the balcony. "I saw the guy – he was on the street. I saw blood from his chest," she said. | A Churchill Gardens resident said she came to the door after her husband called her to the balcony. "I saw the guy – he was on the street. I saw blood from his chest," she said. |
| She believed that the ambulance service gave him first aid for almost an hour and then was taken to the hospital. "He bled a lot. Of course [it was upsetting]. He's young. I saw his mother screaming and crying." | She believed that the ambulance service gave him first aid for almost an hour and then was taken to the hospital. "He bled a lot. Of course [it was upsetting]. He's young. I saw his mother screaming and crying." |
| The boy was later taken to a south London hospital where he was declared dead at 8:45pm. | The boy was later taken to a south London hospital where he was declared dead at 8:45pm. |
| A 17-year old acquaintance of the murdered boy who also lives in Churchill Gardens said, "It never used to be like this. There used to be a good atmosphere around here." | A 17-year old acquaintance of the murdered boy who also lives in Churchill Gardens said, "It never used to be like this. There used to be a good atmosphere around here." |
| The teenager who did not want to be named, pointed to a chunk of ceiling peppered with tiny holes in a communal entrance to one block of flats. He said that it had been blasted off after a shotgun was discharged in a gang fracas last year. "In my opinion, the police haven't been doing nothing lately." | The teenager who did not want to be named, pointed to a chunk of ceiling peppered with tiny holes in a communal entrance to one block of flats. He said that it had been blasted off after a shotgun was discharged in a gang fracas last year. "In my opinion, the police haven't been doing nothing lately." |
| A second acquaintance who also did not want to be named said, "[Hani] was friendly, funny and nice to be around with. I don't know why people would do this." | A second acquaintance who also did not want to be named said, "[Hani] was friendly, funny and nice to be around with. I don't know why people would do this." |
| Both boys believed that the murdered boy's mother was Irish and his father was Palestinian and that he was well built for his age. | Both boys believed that the murdered boy's mother was Irish and his father was Palestinian and that he was well built for his age. |
| "Nowadays people are scared to fight with their hands, they're more likely to fight with knives because they don't want to lose their fight, they don't want to get beaten up. | "Nowadays people are scared to fight with their hands, they're more likely to fight with knives because they don't want to lose their fight, they don't want to get beaten up. |
| "No one turns to the police. Basically in this area if you turn to the police, it's bad news for you," he said. | "No one turns to the police. Basically in this area if you turn to the police, it's bad news for you," he said. |
| A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "A murder inquiry is now under way and an incident room will open in due course under detectives from the Specialist Crime and Operations Directorate. | A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "A murder inquiry is now under way and an incident room will open in due course under detectives from the Specialist Crime and Operations Directorate. |
| "We must retain an open mind re the circumstances of the incident and any motive at this early stage." | "We must retain an open mind re the circumstances of the incident and any motive at this early stage." |
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