SuppliedA community in Glasgow has been overcome by “numbness and extreme grief” in the wake of the murder of a teenage boy.
Amen Teklay died after being found with serious wounds believed to have been inflicted with a blade on Clarendon Street at around 10.30pm on Wednesday.
Emergency services were called, but the 15-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. A major murder investigation is under way.
Amen attended Kingsway Community Connections – a community centre in Scotstoun – with his friends and other young people from the area.
He is remembered as being “laid back” and a “lovely boy” by staff.
STV News“It’s a mix of numbness and extreme grief among the young people,” said Jamie O’Neill, welfare advice and support worker at the centre.
“They’re finding it difficult just to understand what’s happened, how it’s happened, some of them are asking if there’s anything they could have done.
“There’s a disbelief to what’s happened, and I think even for me, it’s hard to process that he’s not here and we’ll never going to see him again.
“He was quite laid back, sometimes a bit cheeky but really, really nice to speak to and when he came into the office, you would smile when you saw him.”
Mr O’Neill said the community wants to look at how to stop an incident like this happening again.
“I don’t think anyone wants to be a position where you’re getting phone calls at 11.30pm from young people that are scared, saying ‘my friend’s lying there, I think he’s dead’.
“Anyone that is involved or knows anything, don’t share stuff on social media, talk to an adult, because we don’t want to see things escalate.”
STV NewsThe centre’s managing director Lainy Bedingfield said young people gathered at the facility on Thursday.
“Comprehending something so huge and so personal to them, it’s a friend, someone that they take for granted, that they see, that they talk to, that’s just there, it’s been difficult for them,” she said.
“All we can do just now is be here for them and give them the opportunity to meet each other, to cry if they want to, to be mad if they want to and to just be together.
“We’re here to respond and react to what our community needs, and that’s what we’ll always do, whatever support we can give we’ll do that.
“Amen was a lovely boy, it’s just so desperately sad.”
STV News‘Bright and much loved’
Amen was involved in the Kingsway centre’ film group, making videos with friends.
In a video made with the group he says the first time he came to the centre was to play football.
He says he enjoys pizza nights and summer barbecues.
Originally from Eritrea, his family had moved to Knightswood several years ago.
Amen’s headteacher at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School described the teenager as friendly and much loved.
“This is a tragic situation,” Claire McInally said.
“Amen was a friendly and much loved young man who was really interested in music and the media. He was bright and showed great promise.”
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