Highbury stabbing: Boy, 15, killed after 'shouting and running' near Highbury Fields, says resident

Police cordon at Highbury Fields
Police cordon at Highbury Fields, north London Credit: BPM Media

A murder investigation has been launched after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in north London on Thursday night.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at Highbury Fields in Highbury, Islington, at around 9pm on Thursday.

The injured teenager was treated at the scene, just 500 yards from Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium, before being rushed to hospital where he sadly died a short time later.

No arrests have been made.

There is currently a large cordon in place around the bottom half of the park as well as Highbury Terrace.

Police at the scene in Highbury Fields on Thursday night

'A lot of commotion' A woman living in the area said: "I heard a lot of commotion. Shouting and running. Sounded like a lot of people. I saw boys running up the road, maybe four of them. I don't know if they were involved or scared."

Another local resident added: "It doesn't surprise me. There's always activity on the field, especially in the early hours. Young people gathering and drinking. Usually lots of lads out.

"I've lived here for 36 years. I've noticed it's got worse - you just have to be aware. A few years ago, there was something about guns involved. I think there was a shot fired.”

'It was definitely kids'

Kimberley Patton-Bragg and Michael Bragg, visiting London from New Orleans, said they witnessed a police presence as a group of between 15 and 20 young people became "heated" in Highbury Fields last night.

Ms Patton-Bragg said: "Right around 7 o'clock, 7.15, kids - it was definitely kids - were being rambunctious and it was definitely getting heated."

The couple were sitting inside their AirBnB, which faces onto the park, with the windows open when they saw the situation develop.

Ms Patton-Bragg added: "We saw a cop on his bike go after them and he was calling the other [cops].

"We just figured they were just breaking it up, we didn't know it was going to escalate that badly."

Mr Bragg said: "You could feel it building, at some point the groups became larger."


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