Dying teenager called for mother
the scene of the stabbing in Thornton Heath

A teenager called for his mother as he lay dying after being stabbed in a street in south London.

Shakilus Townsend, 16, from Deptford, south-east London, was found with multiple knife wounds in Beulah Crescent, Thornton Heath, on Thursday.

He died in a hospital shortly after midnight. He is the 18th teenager to be killed in London this year.

The building's residents said the youth called for his "mum" and said "I don't want to die" as they tried to save him.

Police said he was attacked shortly after 1400 BST on Thursday. No suspects have yet been arrested.

People living close to the scene described how they tried desperately to save Shakilus.

'Senseless incident'

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.

"I think a group of boys must have been after the boy," she said.

"All I heard was them saying 'get him from the other side'."

Ms Bamina saw a gang of four or five youths, 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".


Map showing the location of the murder
Why oh why... it honestly brings tears to my eyes to read stories like this
Chanel, online tribute for Shakilus

An air ambulance was scrambled but Shakilus was eventually taken to hospital by road after being treated at the scene.

Det Ch Insp Cliff Lyons 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."

Neighbour Richard Higgins, 17, said he saw the weapon that was used.

"It was a big kitchen knife, maybe 18in," he said.

"He had stab wounds on his stomach and one big long wound on his chest."

Richard's mother Matilda, 43, said she fears for her son's safety.

"I do not breathe until I hear his key in the lock," she said.

Tributes for Shakilus appeared on the online memorial site Gone Too Soon.

A contributor Chanel wrote: "Why oh why... it honestly brings tears to my eyes to read stories like this"; a tribute from Fiona said: "Such a waste.. May you rest in peace, xxx".

Spate of stabbings

Shakilus was attacked four days after 16-year-old Ben 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.

Yes, I know we've become anaesthetised to it, but this one hit me as it was at the bottom of my road, practically on my doorstep.

RIP all those who have died needlessly.

I read this yesterday with deep sadness, I do not know what to think except that these children have lost their mind and their perspective on reality... Vezz i know your area and t cannot be said to be deprived, or a 'ghetto' nor is it a hot bed of single parent childen.. So it will be intriguing once they catch these scumbags to find out why this child was killed and what if anything was gained from this senseless killing..

for real Vezz - when I heard the road I said that's round the corner from the Tescos where Dwain Douglas bit the dust. It appears though that the circustance was so different, this almost reeks of wrong place wrong time, it just has 'killing for fun' written all over it.

K - sad man but losing the mind? The only thing that would make it make any sense is these people have no minds to lose. These kids are walking around as murderers and clearly think it's a joke. I even imagine them comparing notes boasting how much each of them have killed.

Broad daylight as well..wow man...wow.

Needs to be a serious study into all of this, not sure what is going through these kids minds. People normally kill each other because they're a threat to them in some way but this is diffrent, something is deeply wrong.

R.I.P kid.

whats really there to say...the hopelessness is just too depressing for words

Just goes to show the significance of the little values left that our parents tried to hold on to.

Noel blames the iron lady and I fully agree that morality went downhill after the Maggie Thatcher years. I wouldn't go as far as saying this is synonymous to women but after she was in power everything changed from pride to money.

Noel Gallagher:

the problem was not only in London as he had visited Liverpool recently and seen knife-related incidents on the news.

He continued: "The scumbags are taking over the streets you know.

"I don't even know what Cameron and Gordon Brown are going to do about it."

He continued: "It all goes back to the Thatcher years. It's a cliche to say it but that's where the rot set in."

He said that in the North there were rows and rows of derelict houses. Gallagher said: "Me and the missus talk about it at night about how our kids are going to grow up. I don't know what you can do.

"In my day, status was trying to be somebody, do you know what I mean, not trying to kill somebody.

"So how's that all changed? It's really really scary."

I also think once convicted it is time we start hearing from the parents of these murderers.

THORNTON HEATH MURDER COULD HAVE BEEN OVER A GIRL

A teenager fatally stabbed in Thornton Heath was deliberately targeted, possibly over a girl.

Shakilus Townsend, 16, died in the early hours of this morning, hours after being found in a pool of blood at flats in Beulah Crescent yesterday afternoon.

Speaking from the murder scene, Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons, who is leading the investigation, said police wanted to speak to a mystery girl seen there when he was attacked by the group of five teenagers at 1.45pm.

He said he believed Shakilus, known to his friends as Shaki, was the victim of a targeted attack.

But he added it was not thought this was gang-related. Police is not certain the girl was involved, and other lines of enquiry were being followed.

Shaki, who lived in a tower block in Tanners Hill, Lewisham, is believed to have friends in Thornton Heath.

His attackers are not thought to know the area, as they scattered in different directions in search of an escape route after the stabbing.

As well as being stabbed in the side and stomach several times, he was also beaten with a baseball bat.

Police have recovered two knives from the scene, but have not yet found the bat.

The attackers were black, in their mid teens and wearing hooded tops pulled over their heads with bandanas covering the bottom half of their face.

The girl was black, of a similar age and wearing a floral dress.

Shaki's post mortem is being held this afternoon.

Anyone with information should call 020 8721 4205 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

It's sickening to keep reading these events.



Shakilus Townsend



R.I.P.

My sister went to Beulah School. When I read this it brought tears to my eyes to see he was calling for his mother; after all he was just a baby - and in the same week as Sian Simpson' s- whose family I know - killer was aquitted on the grounds of self defence.

Its time to bring stiffer punishments, and reinstate family values. Thornton Heath isnt a ghetto, there is as much crime as in any other similar area. There are so much social issues to blame - not least the economy, in which most people these days cannot live off one wage alone. I consider myself lucky as I work from home as an artist, so my hour are largely my own and I am able to be at home with my little ones, but the majority of my friends, family and aquaintances don;t have that luxury.

Thornton Heath/South Norwood/ isnt a ghetto /neither does it suffer real deprivation like the inner city/ but all these rose tinted views of the area surprise me to say the least.

In terms of violense /shootings/ its as bad as anyware in South London. In terms of single parents it on a par with anywhere else.

My theory is after the rise in immigrants/and other black from other parts of South London /into the area over the last 10 -15 years its being ghettofied. ( i.e less public money spent on the environment and services) I have family down there long time and my brother dont stop complain about the standard of schools in the area. Crack houses left right and centre. If you travel at the right time in South Norwood you'll see young prostitutes as well. So its not an easy place at all for a youth.

RIP young brother.

Sorry Bredder, but I seriously disagree with your Observation and analysis...There is no way anyone could call Thorton Heath, Norbury or South Norwood Ghetto.... even if you went down as far as Streatham you could not describe that as ghetto...or for that matter single parent land..[NOT that this issue is about single parents imo].

Ghetto is the old tulse hill estate that used to be opposite the old Dick sheppard school, or the old Angel Estate in Brixton, or the estates they have up by Manor house tube station... But in any case, I really don't think these killings are down to services or the lack of, nor do I think its about ghetto's or for that matter single parents...