Stabbed teenager Shakilus Townsend dies

A 16-year-old boy who was stabbed in a street attack in south London yesterday has died, becoming the 18th teenage victim of the capital's street crime epidemic this year. Shakilus Townsend suffered multiple injuries when he was attacked in Thornton Heath just before 2pm yesterday, and died in hospital overnight. A Metropolitan police spokesman said Townsend had been stabbed more than once. The weapon had not yet been identified and no arrests had yet been made. Police believe the murder could have been gang-related. "We are retaining an open mind as to motive at the moment, but what we can say is that gang-related activity is one line of enquiry that we are looking into," the spokesman said. The attack came days after 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was killed outside a bar in Islington, north London, at the weekend. On Monday,... [read full story]