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Dying 15-Year-Old Boy, Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, Named Killer Moments After Being Stabbed

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 10:29 PST, Jun 11, 2017

It was recently uncovered that a dying 15-year-old boy, Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, named his killer moments after he was stabbed outside of his school in what police officials are calling a “planned attack,” according to the Mirror. At around 3:22 p.m. on January 23, Quamari had just walked out of Capital City Academy in Willesden, northwest London, along with other students, when he was ambushed by a 15-year-old boy, whose name has not been released.

Witnesses say the victim immediately started running, saying “oh s**t” and “help, help” before his attacker caught up with him and stabbed the teen three times in the back, shoulder and upper leg. Quamari was transported to an area hospital by ambulance and was able to tell a nurse that he recognized his attacker’s face.

Quamari gave the first name of his attacker before he died four hours after arriving at the hospital. It was reported that medical staff thought he would survive the stabbing, but apparently, his injuries led to a “series of cardiac arrests.”

The victim’s attacker is believed to be a resident in Norbury. When authorities questioned the suspect, he denied the fatal stabbing attack, although Quamari, who relatives described as a “popular and happy boy,” was able to name him as the killer and a witness recognized him.

Prosecutor Sally O’Neill stated that a motive for Quamari’s killing may never be known, but investigators believe that it may have started from an argument on Instagram Live.

O’Neil said, “A possible reason for why he should be in Willesden or Harlesden emerged from a mutual friend of theirs, who also goes to Capital City Academy. This friend had some disagreements with [the suspect] over the weekend on social media and almost dared him to come up to Harlesden but thought that he wouldn’t because he knew that [the suspect] was living in the Norwood area at the time.”

“There is no doubt that he did leave the area. He did so to go and wait outside the school. He waited for Quamari and as soon as he saw him, he chased and stabbed him. This wasn’t a school argument getting out of hand and someone gets hurt because one of them had a knife. It was a deliberate and planned attack on a defenseless schoolboy.”

Quamari’s friend subsequently told the suspect to “come up to Harlesden.” O’Neil said, “It was obviously some sort of challenge by [the suspect] said he couldn’t. Whether this conversation was anything to do with why he was in Harlesden on a Monday afternoon will be for you to judge.”

CCTV footage captured the suspect “walking past school gates” before waiting at the corner of the road for his target to leave school. The suspect’s cell phone also linked him to the area during the time of the stabbing.

He has been arrested and charged with Quamari’s murder.

Following Quamari ‘s stabbing death, thousands of people gathered outside of the Capital City Academy for the teen’s vigil. Relatives later created a Go Fund Me page in an effort to help pay for Quamari’s funeral expenses. His mother, Lillian Serunkuma, stated that she feels lucky to have received support from “strangers, people abroad, even just learning that my son had so many friends.”

“I’m really glad that the whole community understands that this just isn’t right,” Lillian added. “But I hope that it’s not just words and everyone continues to do something about all the unnecessary violence that people are having to go through.”

“It’s not just Quamari who’s gone in the same way, there’s been a lot of other kids who had really bright futures and who had a lot going for them. We’re glad that Quamari’s friends have taken note, and it’s been publicized in the correct way.”

The suspect is now awaiting trial.

[Featured Image by tfoxfoto/iStock]

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