16-year-old fatally stabbed in Northampton was 'amazing', 'popular' and 'always smiling', say grieving friends

Friends of a 16-year-old boy from Northampton who was fatally stabbed have paid tribute to their ‘amazing’ and ‘popular’ friend.

Officers were called at about 3.35pm on Wednesday (March 22) to Harborough Road, close to the junction with The Cock Hotel in Kingsthorpe following reports that a boy had been stabbed. Sadly, and despite the best efforts of paramedics, he died shortly afterwards, a police spokesman said. A murder investigation has been launched.

Hundreds of young people, some accompanied by their parents, have paid floral tributes, left messages and laid a Chelsea FC shirt at the war memorial on Harborough Road today (Thursday, March 22).

Although the victim has been named locally, Chronicle & Echo has chosen not to do so until his identity is formally released by Northamptonshire Police, out of respect for the family.

A tribute written on a balloon by one of the victim’s friends said: “Rest in peace. You will be missed by many. You do not deserve to die so young. I will miss your smile. Thinking of all your friends and your family. Fly high. Rest in peace.”

Sixteen-year-old David Lopes-Tomas, who was friends with the victim, explained how he was feeling.

David said: “It’s terrible. I still can’t believe it. The fact that I’ll never see him again, no one will ever see him again. I just can’t get over it. I was talking to him 20 minutes before it happened.

"He was amazing. He was always happy, always smiling. His close friends were like his family. Everyone knew him. All the flowers here, it shows everyone loved him."

Sharing his thoughts on knife crime, David said: “This can happen to anyone. It’s not safe anymore. He was a very good person, for this to happen to him and his family, it’s terrible.”

David’s mother, Elwira Trzecikiwitz, said: “It’s absolutely shocking. All night David didn’t sleep, he was just crying. I was in shock. I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. This is how I was feeling. What if this happened to my son, I can’t even put that in my head.

“This town is not safe anymore. Teenagers are walking to school with knives, what’s this?”

Speaking to this newspaper, 12-year-old Prince Ndemera, who was accompanied by his dad Nasha, also paid tribute to his friend.

Prince said: “He was really nice, always there for you if you needed help. We played football at Kings Heath cage together. It’s just really sad.”

Dad Nasha said: “My son said it's his friend. It's a big shock. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. This has happened a young boy taken away away so young, in his prime. He had lots of friends. He was a very popular boy. It's hard to take.

"We came here for Prince to pay his respects. I want him to understand, be here, reflect, appreciate life. I just wanted him to have a moment, to think of the good times they had together, all the memories.”

Nasha went on to explain how he feels, as a parent, keeping his child safe from knife crime.

He said: “It’s scary now. If he leaves every morning, is he going to come back? He could bump into somebody and it could result in him not coming home. It’s worrying.

"I don't want this to happen to him. I don't want this to happen to anyone. My first thought was what can I do to keep him safe? Is he safe?”

Police are urging anyone with information - no matter how small – to come forward.

Witnesses, anyone with information, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell, or dash-cam footage of the area at the time, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 23000174855.

Alternatively information can be submitted via an online portal: (mipp.police.uk) or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.