News, Manchester
Greater Manchester PoliceThe parents of a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death have paid tribute to their “funny, caring and hardworking” son as a fifth suspect was arrested on suspicion of his murder.
Ibrahima Seck died in hospital after he was attacked outside the Fairway Inn pub in New Moston, Greater Manchester, at 17:00 BST on Sunday.
Two teenagers – aged 14 and 16 – were arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday. Greater Manchester Police earlier confirmed another 14-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of the same charge over night.
His mother and father said in a statement: “He was so smiley and always made everybody laugh. He was a good boy.”
They continued: “The killers have killed two people – me and my son. Why would anyone do this to him? He does nothing wrong. My family want justice.”
He was a “well-liked young boy” and “our best friend”, they said.
A 14-year-old girl and a 37-year-old woman were also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, police said.
Det Ch Insp Tony Platten said the incident had “rocked the local community”.
He called for anyone with information to contact the force.
Earlier, Ibrahima’s father left flowers at the scene of the attack.
His mother had to be held up by loved ones while his crying father showed reporters an image of his son on his mobile phone and repeated “he’s been killed” before laying flowers where the attack happened beside a picture of Ibrahima and tributes from the community.
According to a resident quoted by the Manchester Evening News, the boy reportedly ran to a home nearby on Nevin Road after he was hurt and told the resident “I don’t want to die”.
One of the messages left at the scene read ‘things need to change, knives down gloves up’.
Another said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this horrific time. There are good people in this city, we pray for your son.”
Meanwhile, one man stopped the traffic to get out of his car and give the grieving family who visited the scene a hug.
Det Ch Insp John Charlton of GMP said police were supporting the boy’s family and were “determined to give them the answers they deserve”.
He appealed for “information, doorbell or dashcam footage, or eyewitness accounts from anyone who was in the area at the time”.
Nearby residents told the the stabbing was “very worrying”, and they were scared to let their young children out of the house.
Fran Hicklin, 80, lives near the Fairway Inn, which remains cordoned off.
She said she returned home after 18:00 on Sunday to see crowds of people in the street.
“When I got out of my car there were crowds along my fence at the front,” she said.
Ms Hicklin said she asked a man what was going on because “there were police all over at the pub”.
She said the man had told her that a young boy had been stabbed.
Ms Hicklin said she was worried about knife crime, not least because she has grandsons.
“I’m very wary about them growing up in this world.”
Another local resident, Ruba Devi, said she was cooking at home when her 13-year-old daughter noticed a commotion outside, with police cars and ambulances arriving.
The 45-year-old said she stayed indoors with her children and stopped her 10-year-old son from looking out the window.
Ms Devi said he was upset by what had happened, and had been asking lots of questions.
She described it as “very sad news” and added that she was now “scared” to let her children play outside.
