UK authorities have identified the victim of a fatal sword attack in London as 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, shedding light on the tragic incident that occurred this week.
Anjorin, a British-Nigerian student, was enrolled at Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green, the same school attended by Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a victim of a previous attack in Nottingham. The attack took place on Tuesday morning as Anjorin was leaving his home for school when he was assaulted by an assailant wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.
Police swiftly intervened, tasering and apprehending the suspect, a 36-year-old man, who remains in custody on suspicion of murder. Bancroft’s, the independent school attended by Anjorin, expressed profound grief over his death, describing him as a dedicated scholar with a gentle nature.
The Metropolitan Police provided further details of the incident, stating that it began with the accused crashing a van into a house fence and subsequently attacking a 33-year-old man before stabbing him in the neck. Another man, aged 35, was assaulted inside a nearby property before Anjorin was fatally injured.
Despite police intervention within 12 minutes of the first emergency call, the suspect resisted arrest, causing serious injuries to two police officers, both of whom required surgery. The attack, while tragic, is not believed to be terrorism-related. It occurred against a backdrop of increasing knife-related violence in the UK, coinciding with upcoming local elections where public safety is a prominent issue.
Anjorin’s death is the second tragedy to befall Bancroft, following the killing of Grace O’Malley-Kumar in Nottingham last year. O’Malley-Kumar was among three victims stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane, who was subsequently sentenced to indefinite detention in a psychiatric hospital.
