The family of a 15-year-old girl fatally stabbed on her way to school has paid tribute to “the light of our lives”.
Elianne Andam was wounded in the neck after getting off a bus in Croydon, south London at around 8.30am on Wednesday, with members of the public rushing to try to save her.
On Thursday, her family said in a statement through police: ““Our hearts are broken by the senseless death of our daughter. Elianne was the light of our lives.
“She was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her. She was only 15, and had her whole life ahead of her, with hopes and dreams for the future.
“All those dreams have now been shattered. Our lives have fallen apart, along with that of our wider family.“We ask the media to please respect our privacy as we try to grieve the short life of our beautiful child.”
More than 40 bunches of flowers had been left at the scene on Thursday, with touching messages to the teenager.
Among the floral tributes, cards and candles, one message read: “Rest in peace little princess so sad your life is taken away at your prime. You have touched my soul.”
A 17-year-old boy, who knew the victim, was arrested just over an hour after the attack which took place on busy Wellesley Road at around 8.30am.
A steady flow of well-wishers left flowers and cards near the scene on Wednesday evening, and the girl’s school paid tribute to its “valued friend and pupil”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said her death was “absolutely shocking” and he was as appalled as anyone.
Mr Sunak added: “The idea that a young girl, not that much older than my own daughters could just be robbed of her life completely innocent on her way to school is horrific and I’m sure everyone will be as appalled about it as I am.
But I’m also angry that something like that happened and that’s why for the most heinous crimes that people commit in our country they should just be locked up for life.
“That’s what people want to see, that’s what we are going to deliver. It’s the only way to make sure people face the justice they deserve when they do awful things.
“I recently met with The Met Commissioner to talk about knife crime because the government recently outlined a bunch of new powers to go further to tackle knife crime.
“That’s making sure we can give police the powers they need to confiscate knives.
“We’re toughening up the sentencing for the people who commit these crimes and we’ve given police powers like stop and search which means they can confiscate and they have over 100,000 knives off our streets.
“We must keep going to stamp out this awful scourge.”
Anthony King, chairman of My Ends – a project helping combat youth violence in Croydon, was with the girl’s family after the incident and said they were “heartbroken”.
He added: “She had a bright future ahead of her. She was in her GCSE year.”
Mr King described the girl as an “absolutely incredible young lady” and told of how others said she was “jovial, very comedic”.
He also said the arrested boy had been known to local community groups for the past couple of years.
Witnesses said the girl and her alleged attacker were not in a relationship.
One of the cards left near to where the attack took place read: “Sorry we live in this crazy world this makes no sense.
“Fly high up there my mummy will look after you. RIP beautiful, forever young, taken too soon.
“Thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends, God bless.”
Another said: “Rest in peace little princess. So sad your life is taken away at your prime you have touched my soul.”
A family friend of a girl said her little brother “is going to be so heartbroken”.
Forensic team on the bus in Croydon Credit: PA
Croydon resident Adama Dumbuya, 30, added: “It’s just really sad. She was such a lovely little girl. I’m a parent myself.
“She was just really lovely the few times I’ve met her. She’s just a very nice girl and very polite.
“She helped a lot to look after her brother. I just can’t imagine what he is going to be like. She had a little brother.
“I know they were so close. She always looked after him. He is going to be so heartbroken.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley visited the scene and said: “The senseless murder of a 15-year-old girl on her way to school is impossible to comprehend.
“It was moving and humbling to meet many members of the exceptional Croydon community who have come together in support of a family now dealing with the most unimaginable grief.”
The girl was a pupil at Old Palace of John Whitgift School, a private girls’ school in Croydon.
The school said in a statement: “We are deeply shocked by the senseless and tragic death of our much-loved and valued friend and pupil.
“It will take some time for the Old Palace community to come to terms with this terrible news, and we will offer support to our pupils as we try to do so.
“Above all, we send our love and deepest sympathies to the girl’s family at this unimaginably distressing time.”
Emergency services were called to Wellesley Road at around 8.30am but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene 50 minutes later.
A bus driver and a passer-by were seen desperately trying to save the girl before emergency services arrived, with police at the scene within two minutes.
Tributes at the scene in Croydon, south London, where a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death Credit: PA
A mother of two, who wanted to be named only as Bridget, said: “I was on the bus before and came off and walked back down, I saw them resuscitating her.
“The driver was holding her, and a lady. The emergency services were already here when I walked back.”
She said two other schoolgirls, believed to be the victim’s friends, were trying to get through the police cordon but were held back.
James Watkins, from Mainz World – which runs prevention and intervention projects for children and young people, was with the girl’s family at the scene between 9am and 10am.
He said: “They were devastated and I would say more importantly in shock, I don’t think it feels real for them.”
A red double decker bus on route 60, three police vehicles and about a dozen officers, as well as a forensics tent, could be seen in the taped off area outside the Whitgift Centre.
Met Police Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain told reporters at the scene: “This is every parent’s worst nightmare, and I know the officers who responded this morning, along with our emergency service colleagues, are devastated at the victim’s death.
“This is an emotion I share and I know people across Croydon will be feeling the same.
“The victim’s family has been informed and our thoughts are with them at what must be an incredibly difficult time.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “absolutely heartbroken” at the news of the girl’s death.
