Thousands have paid tribute to gentle and polite Yemurai Kanyangarara who was stabbed to death by a group of teenagers.
The teenager was stabbed to death at about 5pm on July 1 by three boys seconds after getting off a bus in what police claim was a feud between individuals from two schools.
Yemurai and a friend Jack Forde, 16, got off a bus in South East London where they were approached by three teenage boys. One of them took a knife hidden in his clothes and stabbed the student in the neck.
They fled leaving Yemurai dying at the scene in is friend's arms. Jack said: “He was my best friend. I saw it happen. He dropped and fell into my arms.
“There is nothing bad to say about him. He was my best friend.” Ambulance crews struggled to save his life but he was pronounced dead at 6.10pm in hospital.
Detectives described the murder as one of the most brutal they had seen in 25 years.
Police believe his murderers have gone into hiding and are publically appealing for them to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dunne said: “We currently have three frightened teenage boys who we know have left home and are on the run from police, possibly hiding in the Greater London area. This cannot go on forever and sooner or later they will have to speak to me. I am appealing for them to come forward now.
“Yemurai had his whole life ahead of him, having recently sat his GCSEs exams at St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School in Bexleyheath.”
Thousands of people have written tributes to the fallen teenager on Facebook, a social networking website, including Yemurai's heartbroken father, who left this message: "My boy is gone it is so painful – my heart is bleeding. RIP my boy I will always love you."
And his sister Coco wrote: "It isn't easy but I guess God will see us through. They also stabbed our hearts, they are bleeding endlessly."
Post published in: Africa News