Yesterday, our very special community in Brent was shattered by an unthinkable act of violence. It has left families, friends, students, staff and residents across the borough deeply shaken.
Our thoughts today remain with the two boys in hospital, thankfully now in a stable condition and I wish them well with their recovery at this unimaginably difficult time.
Once again, I want to thank our blue light services. We are deeply grateful to the police officers and paramedics for their rapid response. They ran towards danger to protect our children, and our community will never forget that.
I also want to pay tribute to the teachers and staff led by the Headteacher Alex Thomas at Kingsbury High: you protected your students and showed extraordinary care and courage. Council colleagues will continue to do everything possible to support the school for as long as needed, including regular contact with the Headteacher and co-ordinating wellbeing support for staff and pupils.
To the young people of Kingsbury High, and across Brent - I know that yesterday’s events will cast a long shadow. But please hear this: you are not alone. Better days will come, and there is a whole community standing beside you, that believes in your future.
Knife crime is neither normal nor inevitable. We must never allow ourselves to accept this as just another part of life in this city and this country.
As a society, we must do far more to tackle the anger, fear and pain that too many young people are carrying. This is not the Brent of my childhood, and we cannot accept it as the Brent of our children’s future. Knife crime is a cancer in our communities, and we must all confront it together.
My message to young people today is simple: if you are struggling, reach out. Talk to someone you trust and ask for help, because you do not have to carry your troubles alone. Do not go out into the world with hate in your heart – there is always another path, and there are always people who care about you.
Many of you have questions and these will be answered. The Police have already confirmed that they believe this to be a one-off event, concluding with one arrest. The suspect they are interviewing is a British national who was born in the UK and lives in the UK, but they have said they won’t be releasing more details as the suspect is a child. As this is a live investigation, we must let the Metropolitan Police do their job without having to contend with misinformation spreading on social media.
There must be no place for rumours, scapegoating or attempts to stir up racism or division in our community in response to this tragedy. As the Police’s investigation progresses, I am sure that we will get answers, but in the meantime, I urge everyone to come together as a community to prevent misinformation from spreading.
In the coming days, residents will see an increased police presence locally to provide reassurance to support the school community. If anyone has information that might help the police understand what led up to this incident, please do come forward and share it with them. Even the smallest detail could make a difference as they work at speed to establish the full facts.
