Tributes laid where teenage boys were stabbed to death in Knowle West
Officers attended Ilminster Avenue at around 11.20pm on Saturday (27 January) where two boys had been attacked by a number of people who made off from the scene in a car
Last updated 29th Jan 2024
Floral tributes have been laid for two teenage boys who died after being stabbed in Bristol.
The boys, named locally as Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were attacked in Ilminster Avenue, in Knowle West, at about 11.20pm on Saturday.
Avon and Somerset Police said a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy had been arrested and were in custody, and a vehicle had been seized.
The force said further suspects are being sought in relation to the attack and it is not yet known whether the attackers and victims were known to each other.
Officers are keen to speak to passengers who were on a double-decker bus that was travelling past as the attack happened.
A vigil was held where the boys were stabbed on Sunday evening, with people lighting candles and placing flowers.
Tributes included flowers with "Mason + Max Rest in Peace" written on them, a sign stating "Stop knife crime RIP boys" and a note from Oasis Academy John Williams reading: "In loving memory of Mason and Max, gone but never forgotten".
Bristol Commander Supt Mark Runacres told how local residents came out of their homes after the incident and tried to help the victims. Police officers attended the scene within minutes and provided first aid.
The boys sustained stab wounds and were taken to two hospitals - Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - by ambulance, where they died in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Supt Runacres told BBC Radio Bristol there would be a "large police presence" as forensic searches and other enquiries were conducted.
Describing what happened, he said: "The call was received shortly after 23:15 GMT and within an hour we had the first suspect identified through the linked vehicle and in custody.
"People had come out of their houses into the streets to try and help the boys, and there are some really heart-wrenching accounts from people on how they sought to achieve that."
Police are due to visit the school the teenagers attended, while a meeting is due to take place on Monday for community members to speak to the force and council.
Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, said the incident was a "tragic loss of life".
"I'm thinking of the victims and their families, going through a pain that no parent should have to experience," he said.
"We will do all we can to support the families and the local community, working with the police."
Sir Keir Starmer said tackling knife crime requires a "laser focus" as he described the stabbing of two teenage boys in Bristol as "devastating".
Speaking during a visit to Warrington, the Labour leader told broadcasters: "My reaction to what happened in Bristol starts with the human reaction. This is devastating for the family and friends of these two youngsters. I have teenage children myself. I cannot even imagine what it's like for the family and friends.
"But broader than that, I think across the country, there is this general concern now that knife crime is getting out of control. We've seen a 77% increase since 2015. We've got to take it more seriously.
"We need real ambition by the Government. Make sure these knives are not available online - that can be done very quickly.
"Where we think that youngsters are getting into trouble, put the support and get them out of that situation in the first place. And then finally, make it absolutely clear that if you carry a knife you carry the consequences.
"So I would bring a laser focus to this now. We can't carry on with these awful stories of knife crime. We have to roll up our sleeves and do something about it."
Anyone with information about the incident or with any relevant footage has been asked to contact 101 and quote reference 5224023382.
Read more: Murder investigation launched into death of two teenagers in south Bristol