29 January 2024 , 17:58
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A woman has revealed the horrific moment she watched a stabbing victim beg for help as he died in front of her.
Bristol Police has launched a murder investigation after an "incredibly shocking and tragic incident" in Knowle West last night. Two boys suffered fatal knife wounds and both died some hours later in hospital. Dozens gathered at a vigil last night in memory of the two lads.
The teens have now been named locally as Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16. A 44-year-old male and a 15-year-old boy were arrested, and a further two men, 20 and 22, were arrested earlier today.
One local resident, Kristy Kidd, reportedly claimed to be the first person on the scene as she recalled holding one of the victims, Mason, in her lap as his life ebbed away. “I feel like I could have done more, I’m so broken,” she told The Independent. “I stopped the bus and everything. He fell into my ex-partner’s arms and then onto the floor. I gave him my blanket and pillow and stayed with him. It was only us out there then everyone came out. I saw his wound, which I can never forget. I didn’t even know there was another boy that had been stabbed until someone found him further up.
“He looked up at me and said "help" and I hugged him. He was as white as a ghost. My head is such a mess right now it was horrible and I can’t believe they died. I want to let his family know that he wasn’t alone and me and my ex Scott stayed with him by his side.”
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Further to Kristy's haunting testimony, Max's crushed sister shared a heartbreaking tribute on social media yesterday, saying: “My baby brother… one of a kind you are. You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken. I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. You will be missed kiddo I’ll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil’ bro.”
Mason Rist was also killedFormal identification of the victims has not yet taken place and a forensic post-mortem will be carried out in due course. Bristol Commander Supt Mark Runacres said: “This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died.
“Our collective thoughts are with their families at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time. Specialist family liaison officers will now be assigned to the families to provide them with support and keep them updated on the investigation.
“A cordon is in place on Ilminster Avenue between Newquay Road and Tavistock Road, and members of the public can expect to see a large police presence as forensic searches and other enquiries are conducted. There are a significant number of properties within the cordon and we would like to apologise for the disruption caused, but we hope people understand the importance of the work being carried out.
Floral tributes left near the scene of the stabbing (Tom Wren / SWNS)“House-to-house enquiries are underway and CCTV and doorbell footage continues to be gathered. We have also identified several witnesses who we will be taking statements from. Detectives are particularly keen to speak with passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the incident.
“The neighbourhood policing team will be setting up a mobile police station near the scene. We encourage anyone with any concerns or questions to speak to any of the officers. High-visibility patrols will also be carried out to provide reassurance to the community.”
The cordoned off crime scene in Bristol (Tom Wren / SWNS)He added: “It is extremely important there should be no commentary or sharing of information or images online which could in any way prejudice and any future proceedings. It can be an offence to identify anyone who witnessed all or part of the incident as well as those who have been arrested.
“I’d also like to remind people of the impact the sharing of images, footage or even discussing the incident online may have on the families of the two boys. They are already going through the most difficult of times and you may cause them further upset.”
He added in a further statement this afternoon: "There are further suspects that are being sought amongst the group that we believe are responsible.” Referring to the bus passengers, Supt Runacres went on to say: "There was a bus that was in the vicinity at the time and we are keen to speak to people who were on the bus. The bus was just on its normal route, part of the normal transport around the city at that time of the evening."