A 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on Tuesday afternoon is the latest fatality in a recent spate of knife attacks in Woolwich.
The teenager, confirmed as Kelyan Bokassa, was attacked on a route 472 bus in Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
Paramedics treated Kelyan at the scene for stab wounds. He died shortly after medics arrived, police said.
No arrests have been made.
Kelyan is believed to have been an aspiring drill rapper also known as ‘Grippa’. He released a song to his Instagram account on Christmas Day called Bangers N Mash.
A comment left on the video reads: “Rip to my lil bro mayn young talent wasted bcs of postcode beef missing u already”.
Kelyan is believed to have been an aspiring drill rapper also known as ‘Grippa’ (Picture: Instagram)
Kelyan previously attended St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School in Halcot Avenue, Bexleyheath.
Paul Drake, chief operating officer of the trust which runs the school, 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.
“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.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kelyan’s mother Mary Bokassa described her son as “very kind, caring and polite”.
The 50-year-old said Kelyan had been taken into care four years ago but had lived rough on the streets for a year after running away.
She said: “My son and others were taken advantage of by gangs. They were groomed.”
Tributes have poured in on social media for Kelyan (Picture: Instagram)
The incident came after an 18-year-old student was left in critical condition after he was stabbed opposite nearby Shooters Hill Sixth Form College in Woolwich on Monday.
Cops were called to reports of an attack in Prince Imperial Road, at around 4.20pm, where they found a Year 12 student suffering from stab wounds.
The teenager was taken to hospital but remains in a critical condition, police said.
No arrests have been made so far, and police are appealing to the public to contact them with any information on 101, and quoting the reference CAD 4354.
There is no indication that both of the attacks are linked at this stage, police said.
Police cars behind a police cordon at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death on a Route 472 bus (Picture: PA Images/Alamy stock photo)
Mark Rodney, founder of anti-knife crime charity Project Lifeline, said that just two weeks ago Keylan had laid flowers in memory of another recent victim, Daejaun Campbell.
Daejaun, 15, was fatally stabbed with a zombie-style knife in Eglinton Road, Woolwich on September 22.
Mr Rodney said: “The sad reality of all this is that when Daèjaun died we spoke openly about the issues and problems within Woolwich and now another young person has died and an 18-year-old was left in critical condition.
“When are authorities going to listen to us when we are the ones who are on the ground, working with these young people one day and listening to their mother’s cries the next day.
“Enough is enough.”
Daejuan Campbell, 15, was stabbed to death in Woolwich in September (Picture: The Met)
Three teenagers, Jacob Losiewicz, 18, Marko Balaz, 18, and a 17-year-old youth have been charged with Daejaun’s murder.
During Losiewicz’s hearing on September 30, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Daejaun’s death came amid “tit-for-tat violence with all the hallmarks of a turf war”.
In the days after his death, Daejaun’s family said: “This senseless killing needs to stop. Why are parents burying their children?
“We must come together to bring change. Solutions need to be put in place, we must do all we can together to ensure our young have the brightest of futures.”
Speaking at the scene on Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Louise Sargent said the force was “working at pace” to identify and arrest those involved in Kelyan’s killing.
She said: “Our thoughts at this time are with the victim’s family and friends. This is a horrendous crime and I can’t imagine what they must be going through.
“I know this will be a worrying time for everyone here in Woolwich, and all the more so given the very young age of the victim.
“I would urge anyone who witnessed this horrific incident or has any information which might help, to call police on 101 with ref 3795/07JAN25 or call Crimestoppers anonymously.”
Pictured top: Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed to death on a double decker bus on Tuesday afternoon (Picture: The Met)