Police chiefs say they have no intelligence to suggest the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man in Moss Side last night was connected to the conviction of 11 people over a gang related murder last May.
Officers were called to reports of a fight which had broken out on Crosshill Street shortly before 8.40pm last night and found four people suffering from stab wounds.
One of the men, an 18-year-old, died shortly after. He has not yet been formally identified.
Three others, who all suffered serious injuries, are now being treated in hospital.
Police are keen to speak to the victims, but at the moment the priority is making sure they receive the best medical attention.
Last night’s incident comes after 10 men and one boy were convicted yesterday in connection with the gang-related murder of 18-year old Abdulwahab Hafidah in Moss Side last May.
Responding to speculation of links between the verdict and last night’s incident, Superintendent Dave Pester from GMP’s City of Manchester team said: “In relation to his specific incident, we don’t know what’s behind this, whether or not it is gang related or not.”
Pester declined to go into details of what he described as a ‘fast-paced, dynamic’ investigation, adding: “Our priority is to identify witnesses, to identify CCTV, and other investigative opportunities.
“What I would want to do is extend my condolences to the victim’s family and friends and to reiterate that they are being supported by trained Family Liaison Officers,” he added.
GMP, he said, received no specific intelligence on possible reprisals after the verdict yesterday, but there were extra patrols in Moss Side last night, which passed the area half an hour before the incident took place.
Upon receiving the call, officers arrived at the scene of the incident within six minutes.
Supt Pester said that whilst it was ‘incredibly sad’ that the incident had happened, Moss Side was a large area and admitted it wouldn’t be possible to stand officers on each corner.
In response to last night’s attack, more community beat officers and plain-clothed officers from the Excalibur Task Force will be deployed to the streets of Moss Side.
At the Caribbean Carnival this weekend, police will also be working with security staff to ensure security is robust, which will include searching people as they enter the park.
Speaking to MM, Supt Pester urged the public to get in touch if they have any information, no matter how insignificant they think their contribution might be.
Weapons like the ones used in the incident have ‘no place’ on the streets of Manchester, he said, and removing firearms and knives was a police priority.
He added: “Police don’t want it and more importantly the community don’t want it. The majority of young people are law-abiding young people with bright futures, bright prospects, living in a vibrant community in a great city, and they don’t want any of this.”
Anyone with any information about the incident last night should call police on 101 and quote incident number 1918 of Wednesday 9 August 2017, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
