Authorities in London have identified a 14-year-old Black student in northeast London who was stabbed and killed with a sword in a random attack as he walked to school on April 30.
The rampage by a white assailant left four others wounded, including two police officers who were expected to survive despite serious injuries.
Daniel Anjorin died in the hospital shortly after he was wounded by the suspect, identified by authorities as 36-year-old Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, who allegedly killed the boy as he walked toward the prestigious Bancroft’s School in Hainault, where he attended classes.
Police arrested Monzo near the scene on suspicion of murder.
The dual Spanish-Brazilian national from the east London Borough of Newham remains in custody and was due to make his first appearance before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2.
Monzo faces numerous felony charges, including one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.
A partial video of the attack circulating on social media shows the suspect in a yellow hooded sweatshirt pacing around erratically with the sword and seemingly trying to break into someone’s residence.
At the time, two police units were parked along a nearby curb with flashing lights, but no officers appeared to immediately engage with the man.
Several voices can be heard in the background screaming at the man to stop, but he ignores their pleas and continues down the sidewalk with a determined stride before the video cuts off.
Daniel’s death was the second tragedy in less than a year for the Bancroft’s School, which had already mourned the loss of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a former student who was killed in a random stabbing attack in Nottingham in June 2023.
Tributes to the departed 14-year-old poured out to his family and school this week, with loved ones describing him as “a wonderful child” and a dutiful son who was well-liked in the community.
“No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today,” the teen’s family told Sky News. “Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
In a letter to parents, the school’s headmaster, Simon Marshall, expressed disbelief that the school was once again facing a new wave of sorrow and grief.
“All we can do for now is to look after one another and respect the privacy of Daniel’s family,” he wrote. “It is a time of profound grief and as a community we will endure best if we come together in kindness and compassion.”
Flags at the school were ordered to fly at half mast following the tragedy.
In a statement, the school described Daniel as a “true scholar” who had a “positive nature and gentle character.”
A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the site where Daniel was killed. The street corner has been adorned with dozens of bouquets of flowers.
The attack began shortly before 7 a.m. local time when the suspect crashed his van into a fence on nearby Laing Close, where a bystander was attacked and left with a neck wound.
The second victim, a 35-year-old man, was slashed on the arm inside a house in the same area.
However, neither of these victims sustained any life-threatening injuries, police said.
Next, the perpetrator made his way to the school, where he encountered Daniel and stabbed the defenseless boy with the weapon.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police arrived within minutes and attempted to subdue the attacker with pepper spray and a stun gun, but those tactics failed, and the man kept coming.
The two unarmed officers were then slashed, sustaining serious injuries that will require long-term rehab, authorities said.
One of the officers, a woman, nearly lost her hand in the attack, according to reports.
Notably, no shots were fired to stop the suspect, who got away briefly but was soon surrounded by more officers in Thurlow Gardens, where a Taser was used to finally take him down.
In 2009, only 7 percent of police officers in London were trained to use firearms, according to a report from the British National Policing Improvement Agency. To quickly respond to emergencies, many British police forces typically deploy special vehicles with armed officers on patrol.
It’s not clear whether that happened in this case, even as the suspect wielded a deadly weapon that had been used to attack three people at different crime scenes, including Daniel, who was killed.
Charalambous said the community where the boy lived is in shock.
“It’s sad that it’s happened in a family, a community, like this. It’s heartbreaking,” she said, according to BBC News.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described Daniel’s death as “everyone’s worst nightmare.”
Investigators looked into whether the suspect had been taken into custody just a day before the attack, but those tips turned out to be incorrect.
