Dea-John Reid: Man charged with murder after teenager stabbed to death in Birmingham

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A man has been charged with the murder of a teenager who was stabbed to death in Birmingham, police have said.

Dea-John Reid, 14, was chased then attacked in the Kingstanding area of the city at around 7.30pm on Monday.

He died as a result of his injuries.

Michael Shields, 35 from Alvis Walk, in Castle Bromwich, has been charged with murder and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.

A 38-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy remain in custody for questioning, West Midlands Police said.

Two men, aged 36 and 33, and a 13-year-old boy have been released with no further action.

Dea-John‘s family paid tribute to the “incredibly talented” teenager on Wednesday and called for an end to knife crime, saying: “How many more mothers will have to mourn for their sons for this to stop?”

Detective chief inspector Stuart Mobberley said: “This is a significant step forward in our investigation, but we are still pursuing all lines of inquiry to find anyone else involved in Dea-John’s tragic death.

“We are looking at all the circumstances which led up to the events of Monday evening and anyone who has information should contact us.”

West Midlands Police have voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after “looking at previous incidents involving the victim”.

The force said a post-mortem examination confirmed Dea-John died from a stab wound to the chest.