The ‘caring’ schoolboy stabbed to death in broad daylight on a double-decker bus has been named. Arsenal FC fan Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was killed onboard the 472 on Woolwich Church Street just before 2.30pm yesterday (Tuesday, January 7).
The killer of the former St Columba’s Catholic Boys School pupil remains at large. Kelyan was allegedly en route to Woolwich Town Hall to see his social worker on what was his first day back at school when he was killed, said his mum.
Kelyan’s mum said her late son had been ‘groomed’ by gangs and ‘exposed to drugs’ before he died. Mum Mary Bokassa, 50, said to The Sun: “He was very and caring. He cares about people and had a good sense of humour.
“He was very polite. He was interested in football and was a supporter of Arsenal. 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.”
Kelyan’s mum said her late son had been ‘groomed’ by gangs and ‘exposed to drugs’
(Image: UKNIP/David Nathan)
‘Gangs left Kelyan sick, underweight and tattooed’
The grief-stricken mum added that after he returned home, her young son was then ‘taken advantage of’ by local gangs.
“He was exposed to drugs,” she added. “He probably experienced something because I could sense it. He was not himself. If I questioned him he wouldn’t tell me anything about his friends. My son and others were taken advantage by gangs. They were groomed.”
Met Police Deputy Commander Louise Sargent [not pictured] described the attack as a “horrendous crime”
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Mary continued: “He lived in the streets for a year after he ran away from the children’s home.
“But when he came home, he wrote graffiti on the balcony to say he loved me.”
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time’
The schoolboy was killed after being stabbed on the 472 double-decker bus, which runs across The River Thames
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Kelyan’s ex-school has said it’s “saddened” by the death. A South East London Catholic Academy Trust spokesperson said: “We are saddened by the loss of life in Woolwich yesterday of a young boy who was briefly a pupil of St Columba’s in 2022.
The spokesperson continued: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Our schools will provide support to any of the students who may be affected by this senseless violence.”
Dozens of tributes have been made for the teen online, with the hashtag Long Live Kelyan (LLK) seen across TikTok and Instagram.
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