Ilford triple stabbing: Two men arrested after three killed in London in 'fight between Sikh men'
Witnesses describe ‘horrific scene’ of fight that left three men dead in residential street
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Witnesses have described the “absolute chaos” of a mass stabbing where three men were murdered in a residential London street.
The men, who police believe knew each other, were all stabbed to death near Seven Kings railway station in Ilford on Sunday evening.
Investigators said a fight started between two groups of Sikh men before spilling down a public stairway that links to Elmstead Road.
Louis O’Donoghoe, 40, said he heard screaming and shouting outside his house before going outside to see “absolute chaos”.
“It was like something out of a movie, horrific,” he added. “I could see it all, one [body] to the left, two at the bottom of the stairs. It was like a bad day in Bosnia.
“It was pretty horrific really. I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest. It’s like something in a movie.“
The owner of a taxi firm opposite the station said a man with blood on his hands had said three people were badly injured and asked for help during the incident.
Nadeem Rana said: “I was shocked. He had blood on his hands and he said there were people in very poor condition.”
Lauren Marshall, a nearby resident, described how locals came out of their houses to investigate what was happening.
“There were police everywhere – it was manic,” the 26-year-old added.
“I’ve lived here my whole life and nothing like this has ever happened. It was a shock.”
Police were called to a disturbance in Elmstead Road shortly after 7.30pm on Sunday, and the victims – aged in their twenties or thirties – were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men, aged 29 and 39, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Chief superintendent Stephen Clayman said the suspects and the victims were all known to each other and enquiries into the circumstances were ongoing.
“We believe the parties involved were from the Sikh community and known to each other,” he added. “A fight has taken place which has escalated, resulting in three people being fatally attacked.”
Police did not confirm local reports that the fight had started in a restaurant, and Ch Supt Clayman appealed for any witnesses to come forward.
“This investigation remains in its early stages and work continues to establish the exact sequence of events that led to this shocking incident,” he added.
As forensic work continued at the crime scene, the Metropolitan Police were to increase patrols in the area to reassure the local community and gather intelligence.
The triple stabbing came less than two months after 24-year-old Akeem Dylon Barnes was fatally stabbed during a fight in nearby Telegraph Mews. A man has been charged with his murder.
There have been six homicides in London since the start of 2020. Last year there were 149, a rise from 133 in 2018, despite a drop nationally.
The latest murders came after official figures showed that knife and bladed weapon offences have hit a new record in England and Wales.
Neil Zammett, a local councillor, told The Independent that residents were “shocked and horrified” by the triple stabbing.
“This is a tragic loss of life in a residential area,” he added.
Jas Athwal, the leader of Redbridge Council, said he believed it was an isolated incident.
“An incident like this is unheard of within the Sikh community here in Redbridge,” he said.
“I think tragically there are at least three families who are going to be in mourning and this is going to last a lifetime for the people left behind.
“We’ve got to look at the causes of why this happened and address those.”
He was critical of bloody footage shared on social media appearing to show the aftermath of the killings.
“I think the first response should be ‘What can we do to help?’. To put it on social media is not right.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police investigating the Seven Kings Stabbing on 020 8345 3865 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Additional reporting by PA