A 15-year-old boy has been stabbed to death at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, northern England.
On Monday, 3 February, Harvey Willgoose was reportedly stabbed three times by another student while on his way to a lesson.
At 12:17 pm on Monday, 3 February, the emergency services were called, but despite the best efforts of paramedics, the teenager died a short time later.
The school was placed in lockdown, with parents receiving a message stating that “students will be released when police give permission”. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6276nlqj3go">According to the BBC</a>, this was the second time in a week such a measure had been put in place, following an incident on 29 January, when staff and students were ordered to stay put over “threats of violence” between a “small number of students”.
A number of floral tributes outside the school have remembered the teenager as a “lovely lad” who was the “life of the party”.
Following the incident, a 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. A police statement said officers are “working at pace to build a full picture of what has happened” and that police will remain stationed at the school and in the local area to offer reassurance to those affected.
In recent years, knife crime has become an increasing source of concern across the United Kingdom. In England and Wales alone, 78 young people under the age of 25 were murdered with a knife or sharp object in the 12 months up to March 2023. In the year ending March 2024, there were 1,439 hospital admissions for young people under 24 due to knife-related injuries.
The school, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam and part of the St Clare Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, has an active and flourishing faith life. Headteacher Sean Pender writes in his welcome message on the school's website that “as a Christian community, we adhere to Gospel values as the foundation for all that we do”.
Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, has offered his condolences, saying: “My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the boy, the staff and students at the school, and the entire community of Sheffield.”
The South Yorkshire police have said that “we are urging our communities to avoid online speculation and identifying anyone who they believe to be involved in the tragic incident at All Saints Catholic High School yesterday (Monday 3 February) to ensure justice can be secured for the victim and his family. Identifying a suspect can prejudice court proceedings and risk a fair and accurate trial. Information can be shared <a href="https://mipp.police.uk/getForms/14SY25K01-PO1/14SY25K01-PF1">online here</a>, via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 327 of 3 February 2025.”
The local Catholic parish of St Joseph’s, Handsworth, will offer Holy Mass for Harvey, his family, and friends on Saturday, 8 February, at 10am.
<em>Photo: Harvey Willgoose (Facebook)<br></em>