A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 16-year-old boy who was found stabbed in a town centre in the West Midlands.
A 17-year-old boy handed himself in at a police station in the early hours of Friday morning, less than 12 hours after the fatal incident in Sutton Coldfield.
Officers were called at about 3.30pm on Thursday to reports of a boy with serious injuries in the Lower Parade area. The boy died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.
Several people were seen running from the area after the incident, and officers are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything to come forward.
West Midlands police said they were searching CCTV footage, speaking to potential witnesses and deploying extra patrols in an effort to reassure the public.
Alex Murray, the assistant chief constable of West Midlands police, called it a “tragic set of circumstances”. He said: “A dedicated team of homicide detectives has worked non-stop on the investigation since yesterday and has made good progress. We understand the concerns that people living in Sutton Coldfield and beyond will have as a result of the tragedy that has unfolded. I’d encourage anyone with information to get in touch with the officers as soon as possible.”
He said the force took violent crime very seriously and, along with its community partners and the police and crime commissioner’s office, had a programme running in schools aimed at steering youths away from knife crime.
Murray said: “We need parents, community leaders, schools and young people themselves to pass the message that it is never OK to carry or use a knife.”
