The recent sword attack in Hainault, a suburban area in northeast London, has sparked renewed discussions about the ongoing issue of knife crime in the UK, particularly in the capital.

The young victim of the attack has been identified as Daniel Anjorin, a 14-year-old boy.

The Times reports that Anjorin, the son of a science teacher, went to school with Grace O’Malley-Kumar, the Nottingham knife-attack victim.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, reported by Sky News, there has been a 7% rise in knife crime from December 2022 to December 2023. Over the past decade, there has been a significant 81% increase in this type of crime.

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Knife-related crime rates in London and the West Midlands are among the highest in England and Wales.

The number of knife-related crimes reported by the Met Police increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, while in the West Midlands, there was an 8% rise.

In 2023, London saw a concerning 30% of knife-related crimes, amounting to 165 incidents per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands recorded a slightly lower rate of 118 incidents per 100,000.

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For both male and female victims, sharp objects such as kitchen knives, swords, and machetes accounted for two-fifths of all killings in the United Kingdom in the year ending in March 2023.

While the recent attack involved the use of a sword, statistics from the Home Office indicate that such incidents are relatively rare in cases of fatal stabbings.

Although the attacker employed a sword in yesterday’s incident, it contributed to only three fatalities involving sharp objects in 2023.

Faron Paul, leader of Faz Amnesty, an organisation facilitating the surrender of weapons by children to the police, expressed at the scene of the blockade that authorities are not sufficiently addressing the prevention of knife crime.

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Speaking with the BBC, he said, “It’s not rising. It’s gone through the roof. We’ve got a big problem here. Children are dying on the street every single day. You’ve got a problem. And I don’t feel like the right things are being put in place to prevent, deter or stop knife crime.”

He added that it wasn’t just the area but “the whole of London has a problem.”

“We need to have better consequences and laws in place. We need to stop buying and selling illegal weapons online. And then we need to think about preventative measures.”

The 36-year-old suspect in the deadly London sword attack is currently under police custody after recuperating in a hospital, BBC reports.

The suspect, wielding a sword, was arrested after a dramatic pursuit by law enforcement officers.

The Metropolitan Police clarified that the incident was not terror-related, allaying fears of broader security concerns.

Authorities also confirmed that no other suspects are being pursued in connection with the attack.

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According to police reports, the suspect was subdued by officers using a taser after attempting to evade capture.

According to a previous report by The Associated Press, the suspect was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after the van he was driving collided with a building.

Due to the injuries he sustained, officers were unable to conduct an interview with him on Tuesday.

BBC has confirmed that the suspect, 36, is out of hospital and is now in police custody

A 14-year-old British-Nigerian boy, Daniel Anjorin, was confirmed as one of the victims of the attack.

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Daniel, along with two police officers and two other individuals, were the victims of the violent incident that occurred on the streets of east London.

According to an official statement, the Metropolitan Police said the van crashed into a property on Laing Close, causing injuries to a 33-year-old man.

Afterwards, the suspect violently attacked the individual, resulting in an injury to the neck.

Additionally, the suspect injured a 35-year-old man who sustained lacerations to his arm.

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The suspect then proceeded to attack Anjorin.

Ade Caxton-Cole, a family friend, while speaking with the BBC, described the Anjorin family as a tightly-knit unit, emphasising the strong support they are receiving from the community.

When asked about the well-being of Daniel’s siblings, she revealed that they are struggling to come to terms with the shocking reality of what has transpired.

“Having a brother one moment and then gone the next moment. It is a shock to them. They will need time. Right now it is too soon, it’s too close,” she said.

A teenage boy who was killed during a sword rampage in Hainault, east London has been named as Daniel Anjorin.

The 14-year-old boy died in hospital after the Tuesday, April 30, 2024 attack, in which four other people, including two police officers, were injured.

The victim’s mother was a teacher at Holy Family Catholic School in Waltham Forest.

The suspect is now in police custody, the Met has said.

The 36-year-old man, pictured with a beard and wearing a yellow hooded jumper, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Immediately after his arrest he was taken to hospital due to the injuries from when he crashed his van into a fence.

The force said they had “so far” found no previous police contact with the suspect.

The Metropolitan Police on Wednesday, released the first image of Daniel, a student at Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green.

It shows him wearing a school uniform with a striped blue tie, and travelling on public transport. student at Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green

His family are being supported by specialist officers as detectives continue their investigation at pace.

Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, leading the investigation into the attack, said: “This is an incredibly tragic incident that has resulted in a young boy losing his life and his family devastated. On behalf of the family, I would ask that their privacy is respected.”

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The headteacher of the school attended by Daniel Anjorin has said in a message to parents the boy was a “much-loved” pupil.

Simon Marshall, who took over Bancroft’s School in 2016, told parents it is “scarcely believable” that the school is facing “fresh sorrow”, less than a year after the former pupil Grace O’Malley-Kumar was killed in the Nottingham attacks.

In a note seen by the BBC, he said: “I had been intending to write to you once the news has become public, but I understand that many within our community may already be aware of events yesterday.

“It is therefore with great sadness and shock that I am writing to inform you of the tragic death of Daniel Anjorin, one of our pupils. Our thoughts and prayers at this moment are with Daniel’s family and friends.”

It added that “it seems scarcely believable that less than a year on from the terrible death of Grace O’Malley-Kumar in the Nottingham attacks we are facing fresh sorrow”

A woman tried to warn Daniel Anjorin about the man wielding a sword before he was fatally stabbed but he did not hear because he had headphones on.

Aiste Dabasinskaaite told ITV she was confronted by the man but managed to run away despite him putting his foot on hers so she couldn’t back off.

READ ALSO: Man Wielding Sword In London Arrested After Attacking, Injuring 5 [VIDEO]

She said the man asked her for the address of the area they were in.

“Once I told the address, he sort of moved closer towards me, he put his foot on my foot so I couldn’t back off and then that’s when he like drew out the sword. It was arm’s length. It was honestly petrifying. I just ran down the road, I didn’t even look back to see if he was chasing me,” he said.

She then tried to warn Daniel: “My instinct was to shout and wave at him, which is what me and another neighbour did but because he had just his headphones on I don’t think he heard either of us

“It was sort of a moment where we just went from shouting to just blankness, just felt empty. You wouldn’t think that would happen on your doorstep.”

A friend said Daniel was a “very good person” who loved maths and Arsenal FC.

Cyan Thompson, 19, told the Independent that people “couldn’t help but smile” whenever Daniel walked into the room.

“He was a very good person on his way to school and then some random person did that. For what purpose? My friend was supposed to go with him to school but forgot something at home and had to go back. He expected to see him in class. His mum won’t let him out of the house now.”

He added: “I’m way older but Daniel was better than me at maths. I was planning on playing football with him later today. But that’s not going to happen.

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“He was like a prime Messi, he could get past me very easily. He was small but very jinky. He was a very determined guy. I support Man City, he supports Arsenal, it was a good rivalry. You couldn’t help but smile when he walked into the room.”

In a statement, the Met Police said the suspect struck a 33-year-old m when he crashed his van into a property on Laing Close around 07:00 BST on Tuesday. He then attacked the man, leaving him with a wound to the neck.

Another man, 35, suffered lacerations to his arm when he was attacked inside a nearby house.

Their conditions are not considered to be life-threatening, police said.

The suspect then went on to attack Daniel.

The Met said police arrived within 12 minutes of the first call where officers used incapacitant spray and a Taser on the suspect, which had “limited impact”.

Two officers were then attacked as well, suffering serious injuries and needing long-term treatment to recover, the force said.

The suspect fled before eventually being surrounded by other officers in Thurlow Gardens where he was overpowered with a Taser.

He was arrested and taken to hospital due to injuries from the crash. He is now in police custody.