A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of the teenager Fares Maatou in east London.
Fares, 14, was allegedly stabbed and hit with metal poles during an argument outside a shop on Barking Road in Newham on Friday afternoon.
The Metropolitan police said the boy charged with murder had also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon and would appear at Stratford youth court on Monday. A 15-year-old boy remained in custody on suspicion of murder, while another boy, also 15, arrested in connection with the incident was bailed.
DCI Perry Benton said information from residents had helped the investigation progress.
“Every piece of information could be vital, so I continue to appeal for anyone who knows anything and any witnesses who have yet to speak with police to please come forward,” said Benton. “I have assured Fares’s family of my total commitment to bringing to justice those responsible for this senseless killing.”
Police said they were keeping an open mind over the motive. There were reports Fares was in possession of an electric scooter when he was attacked.
The alleged murder has prompted an outpouring of tributes, with friends and family laying flowers at the scene and a vigil being held on Sunday by a local mosque.
Fares is the 11th and youngest teenager to be stabbed to death in London this year. On Friday his sister Amira wrote on Twitter: “My baby brother, my heart. Please keep him in your prayers.”
