Three promising young men have been brutally stabbed to death on the streets of London in separate attacks over just 24 hours.

Metropolitan Police officers have launched three murder investigations after Rene Richardson, 24, was fatally stabbed in Plumstead, south east London, on Monday afternoon.

Abdullahi Tarabi, 19, was knifed in Northolt, north west London, at 3.30pm yesterday afternoon and Syed Jamanoor Islam, 20, was fatally wounded at 5.30pm yesterday in Mile End, east London.

Mr Richardson, who lived in Plumstead, was pronounced dead at the scene in Bournewood Road. A post-mortem examination was due to take place today at Greenwich Mortuary.

Three promising young men have been brutally stabbed to death on the streets of London in separate attacks over just 24 hours

Syed Jamanoor Islam, 20, (pictured) was fatally wounded at 5.30pm yesterday in Mile End, east London

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Mr Richardson's murder at an address in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, yesterday. He remains in custody at a south London police station.

Detectives are still trying to trace a second man, described as black and wearing a white t-shirt, who was seen leaving the scene of the attack in a BMW sports car.



Talented footballer Mr Tarabi, 19, who was due to start university in September, collapsed in an alleyway after being stabbed in the stomach as he fled two people near to his home yesterday afternoon.

Neighbours said he cried for help as his desperate brother attempted to drag him to safety.

The London Evening Standard reports paramedics battled to save the teenager's life as his 'screaming' family looked on, but despite being taken to hospital he died of his injuries.

A neighbour told the Standard: 'I saw the two guys chasing the boy down the alleyway. The boy was running, but he couldn't run any more. They stabbed him once and ran away, and he was calling 'Help, help'.

Abdullahi Tarabi, 19, (pictured) was knifed in Northolt, north west London, at 3.30pm yesterday

'It was a long knife. I thought it was a joke, it was like a movie. Even the way he stabbed him, it was so quick – he didn't even touch him. It was a nightmare.'

On Facebook friends paid tribute to 'special soul' Mr Tarabi.

Kallum Reed wrote: 'I remember him being the real small one that was just full of energy and full of life. Everyone liked young Tarabi! It leaves me confused and hurt that he's been taken from us, at a very young age too. My heart is hurting I can't lie.'

Meanwhile Mr Islam, an aspiring artist and business student, was stabbed just yards from his east London home.

Police comfort a man near to the scene where Mr Tarabi was fatally stabbed yesterday

He was 'set upon' by a group of men at around 5.30pm yesterday afternoon after two friends became embroiled in a row with another group. While his friends fled the scene, he was beaten with a baseball bat and then stabbed in the side.

A neighbour told the Standard that many peope frantically tried to help the young man by administering first aid and mouth-to-mouth before paramedics arrived.

He said: 'Many people were trying to help, shouting and crying.'

Mr Tarabi is thought to be the sixth teenager killed in the capital since the start of 2017.

The stabbings came in Cressida Dick's first week as the Met's new Commissioner.