08 April 2024 , 10:15
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The 15-year-old boy died despite the best efforts of paramedics after being stabbed in West Bromwich. Police said they were ’working hard’ to trace the suspects
Police have launched a murder investigation after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death at a shopping centre.
Officers were called to New Square in West Bromwich at around 9.15pm on Sunday.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, the teenager, who has not been named, died soon after. His family have been informed.
Pictures from the scene show a blue forensic tent erected within the police cordon. It has been set up outside retail units formerly belonging to Sprinkles Gelato and Harvester.
In a statement, a police detective described the incident as a "tragedy" and said the force was "working hard" to trace the suspects. Any witnesses or anyone with information has been urged to get in touch.
DCI Laura Harrison, from the West Midlands Police’s homicide team, said: "It is a tragedy that yet another young life has been lost as a result knife crime. Our immediate thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends.
“We’re at the early stages of our enquiries but we have detectives working hard to identify those responsible and bring them into custody as soon as possible. There are several lines of enquiry that we will be following, but we also need people to come forward with information. We’ll be increasing patrols and offering reassurance to the community over the coming days.”
National Express West Midlands told passengers that a number of local services are diverted on Monday morning due to an "ongoing incident" in West Bromwich. Services 4, 4M, 5 and 40 have been diverted in both directions along Congregation Way, Reform Street, Bull Street, West Bromwich Ringway and St Michael Street.
The £200m New Square development opened in 2013 covering 473,000 square feet and includes shops, bars, restaurants, a cinema and other leisure facilities. In 2021, two police officers were stabbed and slashed at the shopping centre by knife-wielding brothers Parminder and Maninder Hunjan, who were later jailed.