'My friend was stabbed to death, I want to stop it happening to anyone else'

A teenage boy, whose friend was stabbed to death in a Glasgow park in a row over £50, has been warning other youngsters of the dangers of youth violence.

Kory McCrimmon, 16, was fatally stabbed in Greenfield Park two years ago.

A boy, who was 13 at the time of the attack, was later sentenced to five years’ detention over the stabbing.

Glasgow & West

‘He was so full of life’: Family of teen march through streets against knife crime

The Parents Against Knives march on Sunday was joined by the family of Kory McCrimmon, who died after an attack involving a bladed weapon on May 31, 2024.

Now his friend Kenzo Cooper hopes to help other youngsters see the dangers of youth violence and carrying knives.

“Been brought up with that wee boy all my life, and it was just, see the moment that I was told that’s what happened, that’s when I noticed [the impact of youth violence],” Kenzo told STV News.

Kenzo has been speaking out about his experiences STV News

“I don’t want to be in that position. I don’t feel it for my pals or anything, I feel it for the family, the polis going to their door and going ‘your boy’s been killed’.

“I wouldn’t like to have my ma getting told that, that I’ve been killed.”

‘I don’t want another family to go through what we’ve been through’

Community groups and emergency services have been working to teach young Scots about the lasting impact of youth violence.

Twenty years ago, Karen’s son was left with life-changing injuries after he was stabbed in the same area at just 13 years old.

Even now, she says the family is still dealing with the impact it had on their lives.

“He was chased and was brutally attacked with a gang with a machete. It was horrific,” Karen recalls.

Karen's son was attacked with a machete 20 years ago — Karen’s son was attacked with a machete 20 years ago STV News

“When I took that call, I think at that point I was in such shock that something that you hear about in the news, you hear it all the time, we were that family.

“I don’t ever want another family to go through what we’ve been through because 20 years down the line, it’s still very much there.”

‘We’ve seen a rise in youth violence’

In recent years, teenagers Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy have also lost their lives to youth violence.

Kevin Martin from Easterhouse Sports Centre said: “We’ve seen a rise over the last couple of years and there’s been a couple of tragic deaths within the community.

“We wanted to do an information session and educate young people on the dangers of knife crime. It’s something that’s so important, more than ever, because of the rise in stabbings and youth deaths.

“There’s one too many over the last couple of years.”

Scotland

Number of children accused of attempted murder in Scotland triples, figures show

A Scottish Police Authority report reveals there were 17 attempted murder cases involving 20 children between April and June this year.

There are also warnings that younger children are becoming involved in knife crime.

PC Jonathan Sinnerton said: “It has become quite prevalent in the late primary school age, so I think it is very important to get that message across, educating these young people.

“Maybe having softer educational programmes, teaching them the dangers of knife carrying and moving on to secondary school, having a more hard-hitting input to educate these young people on the dangers of knife crime.”

While communities continue to heal from the loss of young people, it’s hoped events like these will help ensure no other family has to experience the same devastation.