There was fury last night after a 14-year-old schoolboy was confirmed as the latest victim of London’s knife crime epidemic.
Daniel Anjorin was killed just moments after leaving his house when he was attacked in a sword rampage in Hainault that saw four other people, including two police officers, seriously wounded.
The private school pupil, whose mother is a science teacher, had been wearing his headphones when he was allegedly murdered by Brazilian-Spanish national Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo.
While Daniel’s heartbroken family mourn the loss of their ‘wonderful child’, there is mounting anger at the death – and at the apparent failure of Sadiq Khan for ‘failing on knife crime’ in the capital.
Home Secretary James Cleverly was among those slamming the Mayor’s perceived failures on the eve of a string of local elections across England and Wales, including for City Hall.
Mr Khan is also facing calls to look at equipping every front-line officer with a Taser, after two constables received significant injuries during the rampage on Tuesday morning.
Daniel Anjorin, pictured in a red and blue Spiderman costume, was fatally wounded outside his home in Hainault on Tuesday morning
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, 36, who has since been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, pictured arriving at LBC studio on April 23, has been accused of ‘failing on knife crime’ by senior Conservatives
Between 2022- 2023, there was a 16% increase in knife crime in the capital with 12,786 knife offences, while last year 22 teenagers were murdered in London, up from 14 the year before.
Tory MP James Gray told MailOnline he felt the punishment needed to be ‘punitive’ for people carrying bladed weapons on the streets.
He said: ‘If they realise there’s going to be an absolutely punitive punishment, just for carrying one in their pocket or trousers, they would think again.
‘If you know you are going away for 10 years in solitary confinement until the age of 30, you’ll think twice.’
Nickie Aiken, Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, told MailOnline: ‘I would be supportive of more officers being taser trained if they wish to be. The bigger issue is that Sadiq Khan has failed to recruit enough police.
‘He was given extra Government funding to recruit an extra 1,000 officers, didn’t and the money was given to other forces who have recruited.’
Mr Cleverly accused Labour of failing on knife violence in London, saying that while nationally this type of crime is dropping, it is going up in the capital.
Writing in The Telegraph, the Home Secretary said: ‘Labour are failing at a local level, nowhere more so than in London. Sadiq is failing on knife crime.’
He claimed that Mr Khan is ‘the only PCC [Police and Crime Commissioner] to have failed to hit his police recruitment target’ and that ‘where Labour are in power locally, they are failing’.
Previously Mr Cleverly had hit out at London’s most senior political figure, claiming that ‘he is not focusing on the things that he as mayor of London, as the police and crime commissioner for London should be concentrating on’
He told The Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots show that he felt there was a lack of ‘willingness to be really honest about the increase in knife crime in London’.
Home Secretary James Cleverly, pictured outside Downing Street on April 30, said Mr Khan had failed to hit his police recruitment target
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, pictured outside Westminster on May 1, said she felt Mr Khan was not taking knife crime seriously
He was joined by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who told LBC yesterday she didn’t think Sadiq Khan takes knife crime seriously.
‘Just a few days ago he was on LBC laughing at the Conservative candidate Susan Hall talking about machete wielding in London,’ she said.
‘I don’t think he takes it seriously. He is responsible for enforcement.’
She added that more focus needs to be put on enforcement following the latest spree of senseless violence.
Ms Badenoch said: ‘We have cracked down numerous times. People keep finding ways to get around them, so there might be more that we can do from a legislative side but I’m one of those people who thinks that bans can only go so far.
‘Murder is banned and people are still killing, so enforcement is what we need to focus on.’
Responding to criticism of the Mayor in the aftermath of the fatal incident in Hainault, a spokesperson for Mr Khan said on Wednesday: ‘It’s quite extraordinary that the Tories are seeking to politicise the awful murder of a child. They have lost all direction and all sense of decency.
Floral tributes left to Daniel Anjorin at a police cordon near the scene of the Hainault sword attack
Members of the community gather close the scene of the incident as they come together to remember Daniel tonight
A police officer lays floral tributes brought by members of the public on the corner of Laing Close and New North Road in Hainault
‘Meanwhile, Sadiq is remaining in constant contact with London’s emergency services about yesterday’s tragic events. His priorities remain securing more funding for the police, and tackling the causes of crime by investing in young people.’
During Tuesday’s incident dozens of police rushed to the quiet streets near Hainault Tube station after reports a van had crashed into house.
Two of the first officers on the scene were subsequently left with serious injuries in the rampage, with one so badly wounded her hand was nearly severed.
The suspect was eventually taken into custody after being cornered by a group of officers who fired multiple Tasers at him.
Footage of the arrest was shared widely and this, combined with the injuries sustained by the two officers, has raised questions about whether all front-line officers should be armed with the electronic shock device.
Rick Prior, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told The Telegraph: ‘In the wake of the awful events in Hainault and the shocking injuries suffered by two Met officers we will consider our position on whether Tasers should be issued to every officer as part of their personal protective equipment.
‘We are clear that every officer who wants to carry a Taser should be supplied with one, but perhaps it is time to consider issuing them to all operational police officers.’
This was backed by Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for the London mayoralty, who said she had been ‘calling for more front-line officers to have Tasers for years’.
A heroic female officer involved in Tasering and arresting the suspect. She was not injured
Forensic officers working at the scene of the fatal incident in Hainault on Tuesday afternoon
A card with the words ‘To Daniel Anjorin’ and a hand drawn pink flower lays on a bouquet of flowers
A card from one family of well wishers is addressed to Daniel’s loved ones saying ‘we are all thinking of you’
A spokesperson for Mr Khan told The Telegraph that Tasers ‘can be an important tool in protecting Londoners’, but that a wider rollout was ‘an operational matter for the police’.
Later today the alleged perpetrator of the rampage in east London will appear in court.
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, 36, has been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article.
Monzo is accused of crashing a van into a fence in Laing Close just before 7am on Tuesday and then attacking two members of the public with a sword.
It is alleged he then killed Daniel before seriously injuring two police officers as they tried to stop him, one of whom nearly lost her hand.
Scotland Yard said initial attempts to use incapacitant spray and Taser on the suspect were not effective.
Police swarmed the quiet residential streets close to Hainault Tube station, before a suspect was cornered and taken down after being Tasered multiple times.
Monzo, who is understood to have family living in the Hainault area, was initially taken to hospital after he was injured crashing the van.
Daniel Anjorin, pictured here with his mother Grace, was tragically killed during the Hainault sword attack on Tuesday
In another the private schoolboy is seen smiling for the camera during a family day out
Daniel Anjorin went to the £24,990-a-year Bancroft’s school in Woodford Green –where Nottingham stabbing victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was also a pupil
The dual Spanish and Brazilian national, from Newham E16, will appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court, in Ilford today.
In the aftermath of the incident Daniel’s heartbroken family paid tribute to the ‘wonderful child’ who was ‘well loved’ and ‘hard working’ earlier on Wednesday before the charges were announced, saying his loss ‘leaves a gaping wound in the family’.
‘No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today. Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy,’ they told Sky News.
The 14-year-old schoolboy, who is one of three children from a respected churchgoing Nigerian family, was mortally wounded as he left his home in Laing Close just before 7am.
Friends of Daniel’s parents say they are struggling to cope with the devastatingly violent loss of their son, and have turned to their deep-seated personal faith to get through it.
Those who knew Daniel described the teenager as an ‘amazing young man’ who ‘bought his family joy’ during the 14-year life which was tragically cut short.
Family friend Janti Charalambous said, whose son was in the same year as Daniel at Snaresbrook Primary School, said at the scene: ‘Daniel was an amazing young man.
‘He was good at his studies. He was good at his sports. Very much loved by many, many people and came from a wonderful family.
A forensics officer investigates the scene of the van crash in Hainault on Tuesday
Police were scrambled to the scene following reports that a car had driven into a house
Police remained at the scene on Wednesday, with cordons still up near Hainault Underground station
‘The family are in shock. Obviously there are very heartbroken. He was such a young boy taken away from his family.
‘What can we say? It’s sad that it’s happened in a family, a community like this. It’s heartbreaking.
‘At least they got their time to spend with Daniel, 14 years.’
She added that the family’s ‘faith is sustaining them’ and ‘we are all supporting them in any shape or form that they need’.
She said: ‘He was a joyful boy – he brought his family joy and his life has just been taken away.
‘He was much loved, his family are much loved.
‘I was talking to my son and he was so heartbroken, he can remember Daniel driving his little car and playing in the street.
‘He said he can’t imagine it happening to his own brother.
‘We’ve known the family for many years now and we are praying for them.’
Ade Caxton-Cole, who made friends with Daniel’s mother Grace Anjorin when her child attended the same prep school, added: ‘They have hope and we have hope that we will all be seeing him one day so long as we have hope in Christ.
‘Faith is keeping them, the Lord is keeping them.’
Daniel went to the £24,990-a-year Bancroft’s school in Woodford Green – where Nottingham stabbing victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was also a pupil. The flag on the school’s building flew at half-mast today.
The youngster, whose mother is a science teacher, was described as a ‘true scholar’ with a ‘positive nature and gentle character’ in a statement from the school today.
It read: ‘Daniel joined Bancroft’s at seven-years old and quickly became a core member of our community. He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar (pictured) was also a pupil Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green
The flag flying half mast at Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green on Wednesday as a mark of respect
‘His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us. Losing such a young pupil is something we will always struggle to come to terms with.
‘We are now doing all we can to support our entire community through this most painful situation. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Daniel’s family during this incredibly difficult time.’
Headteacher Simon Marshall wrote a letter to parents expressing ‘great sadness and shock’ at Daniel’s death.
He described the teenager as a ‘much-loved’ member of the school, and added: ‘It is with great sadness and shock that I am writing to inform you of the tragic death of Daniel Anjorin, one of our pupils. Our thoughts and prayers at this moment are with Daniel’s family and friends.’
The statement went on: ‘It seems scarcely believable that less than a year on from the terrible death of Grace O’Malley-Kumar in the Nottingham attacks we are facing fresh sorrow.’
A friend of the schoolboy described him as a ‘very good person’ who excelled in maths, loved football and supported Arsenal.
Cyan Thompson, 19, told the Independent: ‘I’m way older but Daniel was better than me at maths. I was planning on playing football with him later today, but that’s not going to happen.
‘He was like a prime Messi, he could get past me very easily. He was small but very jinky. He was a very determined guy. I support Man City, he supports Arsenal, it was a good rivalry.’
Daniel’s mother works at Holy Family Catholic School in Walthamstow, east London.
The school published a statement on its website that said: ‘Mrs Anjorin’s son was taken from this life suddenly this morning on his way to school. Please keep Mrs Anjorin, her husband, and their other children in your prayers.’
