The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a bus in south-east London tearfully spoke of how the police told her what she was “fearing the most”.
Aspiring rapper Kelyan Bokassa died shortly after being fatally injured on a 472 double-decker bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, at 2.30pm on Tuesday.
His mother, Mary Bokassa, told The Independent at her home: “Every time I go into Woolwich I see police officers investigating a stabbing. I guess it is just my turn now.
“It feels so surreal and it’s something we tried to avoid. I did my very best to prevent that.
“I could never relax when he was out, my heart skipped when he left through the door. I just go to bed and wait for him. And that’s where I was when I got the knock on the door and the police told me what I was fearing the most.”
A manhunt has been launched to find Mr Bokassa’s killer but no arrests have been made so far. Detectives say they are working “at pace” to find those responsible.
Surrounded by school certificates for English and pictures of her only son adorning the walls, she said he was a “generous young boy”.
In a note she will now preserve forever, he wrote in a child’s scrawl “I love you mum” in her lipstick on the balcony wall just last year.
Through tears, she said: “I couldn’t even be angry at him. I will always keep this here. He was taken into care when he was younger and he fought to come back to me.
“When I gave him money for his birthday he would spend it on flowers for me. We had just got a puppy and they had bonded so well he was even asking me to adopt a little sister.
“I told him ‘I love you’, I didn’t say for him to be careful because I didn’t want him to be anxious.”
She hit out at “young boys killing other young boys” but said she didn’t have a message for her son’s killers.
One witness said he was coming out of his apartment block when he saw two hooded young people sprint past him towards the River Thames.
He told The Independent: “I was on the way to the gym. As I was coming out of the flat I heard shouting and yelling.
“These two young-looking guys were sprinting as fast as they could towards the river. They were quite close together but as I noticed as they were running they were laughing together.
“I found it quite chilling. They were in hoodies and must have been trying to get away along the river. I saw the police cars arrive but they were heading straight for the bus in the other direction.”
He added: “The poor kid was lying on the ground with a group of women around him. They were completely upset. Paramedics were doing all they could.”
His mother also told MailOnline her son – understood to be an aspiring drill rapper under the name Grippa – had been groomed by gangs.
Ms Bokassa said: “My son and others were taken advantage [of] by gangs. They were groomed.
“He was missing for a year and was living on the street. He finally turned up at my doorstep, he was sick, underweight and tattooed… He was exposed to drugs. He probably experienced something because I could sense it.”
Mr Bokassa was a pupil at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath, south-east London.
A spokesperson for the school said in a statement: “We are saddened by the loss of life in Woolwich yesterday of a young boy who was briefly a pupil of St Columba’s in 2022.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Our schools will provide support to any of the students who may be affected by this senseless violence.”
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: “My thoughts are with the family, friends and wider community in Greenwich following the appalling fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy.
“This heart-breaking violence has absolutely no place in our city. I am in close contact with police leaders – an investigation is underway and local residents will see increased patrols in the local area.
“I urge anyone with information to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There is no honour in staying silent.”
Some 10 teenagers were killed in London last year, nine of whom were the victims of stabbing while one died in a shooting, according to the latest data.
This was down sharply from 21 teenage deaths in the capital in 2023. The youngest victim in 2024 was aged 14.
Metropolitan Police deputy commander Louise Sargent described the attack as a “horrendous crime”, telling reporters on Tuesday: “I’m very sad to say that, this afternoon, a 14-year-old boy has died.
“The initial alert was raised by a local officer out on patrol. Paramedics treated a 14-year-old boy at the scene who had received stab wounds but, really sadly, he died shortly after medics arrived.
“Our thoughts at this time are with the victim’s family and friends. This is a horrendous crime and I can’t imagine what they must be going through right now.
“We are working at pace to identify and arrest those involved.
“I know this will be a worrying time for everyone here in Woolwich, and all the more so given the very young age of the victim.”
There was also another stabbing at around 4.20pm on Monday in Prince Imperial Road, Woolwich, which led to an 18-year-old man being admitted to hospital. It is not thought to be linked to Mr Bokassa’s death.
