Teenager stabbed to death over 'petty' Facebook jibe
Kiran Randhawa|Justin Davenport
21.12.09
A teenager was stabbed to death after a petty row triggered on Facebook, it was claimed today.
Salum Kombo, 18, bled to death yards from his home last night after he spent the day with his family singing carols and discussing Christmas presents.
Friends of Mr Kombo, from Bow, said he was threatened after posting a comment on another boy's Facebook page the day before. The jibe is believed to have related to the alleged attacker not being invited to a party.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said today: A 16-year-old youth has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A girl, who wished to remain anonymous, said: Salum was killed just because he posted a stupid comment on another lad's wall on Facebook. The boy had initially written something on his wall to which Salum responded. It just escalated from there.
Mr Kombo, who came to Britain from Tanzania seven years ago, is believed to have been stabbed in a basketball court where he had agreed to meet a friend and two or three other youths.
The teenager, who was studying art at Tower Hamlets College and hoped to become an artist, tried to stagger home, where he lived with his aunt, after being knifed several times.
Gary Byrne, who lives nearby, told how he had cradled the victim as the life drained out of him on the pavement on Devons Road near the junction with Purdy Road.
Mr Byrne, 46, who owns a minicab firm, said: I went out to the shops and when I came back minutes later I saw the kid lying on the floor with a crowd of young boys standing around him. I went over and another guy was trying to stem the flow of blood. The wound was in his neck or chest. I was speaking to the ambulance crew while holding his head and trying to talk to him, trying to keep him awake."
His eyes were flickering and I could see the life draining from the poor kid. There was so much blood. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
When the ambulance pulled up he was still alive and they worked on him for about 20 minutes but he died on the pavement.
Mtanzania Auliwa Kwa Kuchomwa Kisu Uingereza
Kijana wa Kitanzania Salum Kombo aliyeuliwa kwa kuchomwa na kisu na rafiki yake Wednesday, December 23, 2009 1:22 AM
Kijana wa Kitanzania mwenye umri wa miaka 18 aliyekuwa akiishi na kusoma nchini Uingereza ameuliwa kwa kuchomwa kisu na kijana wa Kiingereza mwenye umri wa miaka 15 aliyekasirishwa na maoni mabaya aliyoyatoa kwenye ukurasa wake wa Facebook. Kijana wa Kitanzania Salum Kombo aliyekuwa akiishi na kusoma nchini Uingereza ameuliwa na rafiki yake wa karibu kijana wa Kiingereza mwenye umri wa miaka 15 aliyekasirishwa na maoni ambayo Salum aliyaandika kwenye ukurasa wake wa Facebook.
Salum aliuliwa kwa kuchomwa na kisu shingoni na begani kwenye uwanja wa basketball uliopo karibu na nyumbani kwao.
Taarifa zilizopatikana zilisema kwamba rafiki huyo wa Salum aliandika maoni kwenye ukurasa wake wa Facebook akionyesha hasira zake kwa kutoalikwa katika party iliyoandaliwa na rafiki zake.
Salum alijibu maoni hayo kwa kuandika maoni ya kumkashifu rafiki yake huyo ambaye kutokana na kukasirishwa kwake alitishia kumuua lakini hakuna mtu aliyetilia maanani vitisho hivyo.
Salum ambaye alikuwa akisomea Sanaa kwenye chuo cha Tower Hamlets College jijini London alikutana na rafiki yake huyo kwenye uwanja wa basketball uliopo karibu na nyumbani kwao ambapo bila kutarajia rafiki yake huyo alimshambulia kwa kumchoma na kisu mabegani na shingoni.
Katika tukio lililotokea siku ya jumapili jioni mbele ya marafiki zake, Salum alijaribu kujikongoja kuelekea kwao huku damu kibao zikimtiririka lakini hakufika mbali na alifariki dakika chache baadae wakati akipewa huduma ya kwanza kwenye eneo la tukio hilo.
Muuaji wake amekamatwa na alipandishwa kizimbani jana jijini London.
Salum aliwasili Uingereza miaka saba iliyopita na alikuwa akiishi na shangazi yake jijini London.
Salum amekuwa kijana wa 13 ndani ya mwaka huu kuuliwa kutokana na mashambulizi ya visu jijini London.