Eight arrested following murder of man in Smethwick

Eight men have been arrested following the murder of a man who was stabbed to death in Smethwick.

Two men aged 19, as well as a 21-year-old and a 20-year-old, have been arrested on suspicion of murder, while three others have been held on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Another man, aged 24, was held on suspicion of obstructing police.

The victim has been named as 31-year-old Karl Gallagher from Smethwick, who leaves behind a daughter.

The attack happened at around 4.40 pm on Sunday (26th April) in the car park at the West Cross Shopping Centre.

Police say the victim suffered serious knife injuries. The air ambulance was called but he died at the scene. A post-mortem was being held this morning. (28th April)

Officers raided six properties overnight, and have been examining mobile phone footage from the scene.

DCI Jim Munro, overseeing the investigation, said: “We’ve made significant progress over the past 24 hours and are building up a clearer picture of the events of Sunday afternoon."

He added: “It’s very distressing for Karl’s family to know that his final moments have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

"It’s also important to remember that proceedings are now active and that anyone who does share it is potentially committing a criminal offence.”