- Junior Nkwelle, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene on Thursday
- Tributes describe Junior as a 'very good footballer' and a 'very quiet'
By Helen Collis and Anna Edwards
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A promising teenage footballer described as a 'role model' for his community died of knife wounds on an estate in Brixton, south London.
Junior Nkwelle, 15, described as an 'asset to the community', was found with severe injuries on Thursday night.
Officers were called to reports of a disturbance on the Loughborough Estate in Brixton just before 9.25pm and found the boy with serious knife wounds.
Floral tributes left outside the block of flats in Brixton, south London, where a 15-year-old boy died
His heartbroken mother Stella Muma, 39, told The Sun her son was a motivated boy who used to write a list every day of his ambitions and was determined to be a professional footballer.
She said he had gone to play football after school but her other son dashed home hours later and told her Junior had been hurt.
She told The Sun: 'Junior was not in a gang and never looked for trouble.'
A 14-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the 'brilliant' student died at the scene.
Police say they do not believe the killing was gang-related.
Tributes for Junior have been laid outside the flats in Brixton, South London
Locals were shocked by the death as they gathered to inspect floral tributes placed outside Secker House in Minet Road.
One card on a tribute said: 'Dear Junior, You was a good friend, a great footballer and a great person. Justice will happen. I promise!'
Another said: 'If football be the food of love 'Play on'. RIP young fella.'
Solomon Smith, 27, a youth support worker at Marcus Lipton Youth Centre a few yards from the scene, said yesterday: 'He was one of our locals, and had been coming here for about two years.
'He was a very good footballer. When he came in, he always played football indoors here.
'He was a very quiet guy, you wouldn't think anything like this would happen to him.
'When we left here at 8pm last night, we heard a lot of commotion outside.
'From about 9.30pm I was getting told that he'd died.
'Because it's Brixton, and there's blocks of flats, you get gang troubles round here. There's been gang wars with guys from Stockwell and Tulse Hill, and that's what we are trying to tackle.'
An ambulance was called but it was too late for the talented teenager, who died at the scene in Brixton
Brixton, in south London has been previously associated with gang wars, but it is not known whether the fatal stabbing in the flats is linked to gang crime
He was a very good footballer. When he came in, he always played football indoors here. He was a very quiet guy, you wouldn't think anything like this would happen to him.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the dead boy was from the Loughborough Estate and that his next of kin had been informed.
London Ambulance Service and London's air ambulance attended after receiving the emergency call at 9.24pm and found the boy with serious stab wounds, but despite trying to save him, he died from his injuries.
A post-mortem examination was being carried out last night at Greenwich mortuary with the results expected to be known today, the spokesman added.
Lambeth-based detectives, together with officers from the homicide and serious crime command, are investigating.
Faith Marriott, 30, who lives locally, said: 'I empathise with his mum. He used to coach my son at football. So what does that say about him, that he's only 15, and wants to coach little ones.
'He was a friendly boy, he wasn't in a gang.
'When children die, people don't believe he could be innocent. We mums would like to be better off and live in a better place, but we try.
'I hope CCTV cameras were working.'
Her friend Dawn Pusey, 45, a mother of five, said: 'It's sad that the youths are thinking about killing each other instead of their education.'
Mrs Marriott's brother David, who helps run local youth project Lambeth Tigers, said: 'He's been coming to us for about four months and coached younger boys at football.
'He was a brilliant kid, only 15, but a good role model for this community. He was always smiling, an asset - to lose somebody like this is devastating.'
An incident room was opened under Detective Chief Inspector Charles King, who said the murder was not believed to be gang-related.
He added: 'We would appeal for anyone who has any information or witnesses to come forward as soon as possible.'
Anyone who could assist the inquiry was urged to call detectives on 020 8721 4054 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
poor bairn
- mrsnobody , durham, United Kingdom, 29/9/2012 09:42
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