Boy, 12, killed in Birmingham stabbing was ‘adored’ | Global News Avenue

The class teacher of a 12-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Birmingham has said he was “well-loved” by his friends and was “funny and sweet”.

West Midlands Police said Leo Ross was found with a gunshot wound to his abdomen near Scribers Lane, Hall Green, at around 15:40 GMT on Tuesday. stabbed and later died in hospital.

Executive principal Diane Henson added that he, a pupil at C of E Secondary School in Christchurch, was a “lively, happy young man” with “many very good friends”.

A 14-year-old boy was earlier arrested on suspicion of murder. The teenager was also arrested in connection with an unrelated attack on a woman in her 80s on January 19, police said.

Ms Hanson said Leo was “a lovely and bright member of the school community”.

She added: “We are providing support to the children at the school and, with the family’s permission, opening a book of condolences.”

The executive principal said Leo had many good friends and “he liked them very much and they liked him”.

Family members said he was walking home for 10 minutes when the attack occurred, describing him as “funny, sweet and not aggressive at all”.

Sheriff Richard North called the stabbing “a shocking and senseless attack.”

He added: “We are doing everything we can to support the loved ones of this little boy who lost their life in such a horrific way, but we know that nothing we can say or do will ease their pain.”

Scribers Lane is a long and busy road in the suburb of Hall Green, surrounded by houses, shops and local schools.

The attack is believed to have occurred near the railway bridge next to Tritiford Mill Park.

Flowers and written messages were left at the scene, including saying Leo was “loved by many” and “our lives would not be the same without you”.

Sheriff North said: “Parents across the country will not understand the pain they are feeling when they hear this news.

“Our hearts go out to this little boy’s family today.”

He urged the public and the media not to speculate on the motive for the attack.

Supt North added that he urged anyone who saw what happened or has CCTV, mobile phone or dash cam footage of the area at the time to contact us as soon as possible.

West Midlands Police said its officers would be patrolling the area to reassure residents.

Knife crime figures released in July show West Midlands police region has highest crime rate in England and Wales.

Alison Cope, whose son Joshua Ribera was murdered in a knife attack in Birmingham in 2013, told the BBC young people were “scared” of living in the West Midlands county.

“They’re seeing headlines almost every week now about some horrific case,” she said.

Ms. Popular Science, Now an activist against youth violencesaid the district’s approach to addressing the issue “is not working” and needs to be discussed in schools.

There have been several high-profile incidents involving teenagers in the past year.

In October, the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said a knife crime task force, led by the Home Secretary, would help “keep our communities safe”.

“We are not complacent and we never will be,” he added.

Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton called Tuesday’s stabbing “shocking and senseless” and said knife crime was a national crisis.

Sarah Coombes, the Labor MP for West Bromwich, told the BBC police needed more funding, knives needed to be removed from the streets and intervention needed to occur earlier.

“Often 14 or 15 is too late, we often need to do it like eight, nine years old and really educate them on the horrific impact of carrying a knife,” she added.