A murder investigation has been launched after a teenager
was stabbed to death at a house party in Peckham, London, days before he was
due to go to Nigeria on holiday with his family.
Leoandro Osemeke popularly known as Showkey, a 16-year-old
musician was found with knife wounds to his upper body after police were called
to a disturbance near a large house party at Colgrove Road on Friday August 5,
at 7.19pm. Despite paramedics' efforts to save him, the teen died at the scene.
Footage taken at the scene shows police working to save the
victim who was slumped bleeding on the ground while a crowd of distressed
teenagers gather around. Southwark police, who are investigating the murder
have retrieved multiple weapons from the scene.
A 15-year-old was arrested today on suspicion of murder and
remains in police custody, Metropolitan Police said.
Tributes have poured out for the victim, who is the fifth
teen this year to have been knifed to death in the capital. His family has been
devastated by his death, which came days before they were due to go to Nigeria
on holidays. His father Emmanuel said: We are in mourning . We will all miss
Leoandro deeply. He was highly talented and intelligent and loved by
many."
"My son was a wonderful boy and never in any trouble.
He was heading for a career in music, he was a great writer and a true talent.
He wanted to be remembered as a legend and he will be for us."
Leoandro’s mother added: “He was an amazing son.”
Flowers have been left outside the Woodpecker community
centre in New Cross.
His godbrother said: "People in the community wanted to
pay tribute to them together because they were both good friends. We are all
asking ourselves why this keeps happening."
Leoandro, who released songs and mixtapes under the name
Showkey, was a pupil at Addey and Stanhope School in New Cross and had been due
to collect his GCSE results this month. He was planning to study music at
college and had been tipped for success in the music industry.
His older brother, who performs under the name Slimzy, paid tribute
to his “best friend, right- and left-hand man. He wrote on social media:
"Your legacy remains, and you linked with M-Dot [Myron]
earlier than expected but just know I’m there for you. I wish I was close
enough to you when it happened so I could protect you but I wasn’t. I know you
had plans for the future and will definitely see each other one day.
Dajo Dele-Ojo, one of his former teachers, told the
Standard: "I’m in complete shock. He was a good student and worked hard
and had a real talent for music
Showkey’s manager, Junior Anim, told the Standard the
teenager was "just like any other young boy, full of energy with big
dreams and aspirations. "His talent was undeniable and he would have been
successful in music or any other trade or skill he put his mind to"
Friends of the boy have shared pictures of messages on
social media suggesting that he "knew" he would be stabbed. One,
apparently written by the rapper, read:
"Road life is mad. Anything could happen. Man could get
stabbed or anything. But if I am going to die I'm going to be a f****** legend.
Emotional posts were written by friends of the rapper,
including Grime artists Novelist and Giggs. The killing comes months after
Myron Issac-Yarde, a 17-year-old rapper and friend of Showkey who went by the
name MDot, was killed in New Cross.
After Mdot's funeral, Showkey recorded a moving rap tribute
in which he said:
"Wrong time wrong place wrong person."
Speaking of the night Mdot was stabbed, he added: "That
night was tragic, paramedics trying to tell me 'don't panic'.
A statement released by the Metropolitan Police yesterday,
August 9, reads:
"A boy appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court,
today, Tuesday, 9 August, accused of the murder of a teenager. The 15-year-old
was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 10 August,
accused of the murder of Leoandro Osemeke, 16, of Peckham. The incident
happened on Colegrove Road, Peckham, at 19:19hrs on Friday, 5 August following
reports of a disturbance."
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