Two teens, 13 and 14, among six arrested after 14-year-old boy stabbed to death

1 June 2021, 21:46 | Updated: 2 June 2021, 00:01

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

Two young teens are among six people who have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Birmingham.

Officers arrested the group in the space of a few hours on Tuesday following the fatal attack in Kingstanding, north Birmingham, the day before, West Midlands Police (WMP) said.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in the area at 3:35pm, followed by a young male, aged 13, who was detained in Walsall.

Another boy, 14, was arrested from a vehicle in Cheshire alongside a 38-year-old man.

Two other men, aged 35 and 36, handed themselves in to separate police stations in the West Midlands, WMP added.

All six have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody.

The victim, who has not yet been identified, was being chased through College Road at around 7:30pm before being stabbed, WMP believe.

He was pronounced dead shortly after collapsing in the road. A post mortem examination confirmed he died from a stab wound to the chest.

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Detective Chief Inspector Stu Mobberley, leading the investigation, said: “We’ve made rapid progress on the investigation so far and these arrests are a significant step forward.

“Our officers have executed a series of warrants in the region and we’ve worked with police forces outside the area to apprehend suspects.

“We’re still speaking to witnesses and really need to hear from anyone who has seen or heard something, even if they think we may already know or they’re not sure how important it is.

“We are aware of many different rumours circulating about the motive for the murder but we are keeping an open mind and pursuing all lines of enquiry. We ask people not to speculate on social media.”

Officers are looking at previous incidents involving the victim and WMP has voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Anyone with information has been asked to contact the force via its Live Chat at www.west-midlands.police.uk or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.