‘Tell mum I love her’: Final call of teen stabbed to death in Ilford brawl

Mohammed Usman Mirza, 19, died outside a tower block in east London
Met police
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A stabbed teenager made a final phone call to a cousin as he lay dying in the street, to say: “Tell mum I love her.”

Mohammed Usman Mirza, 19, spoke his final words after being “ambushed” outside a tower block in Ilford by three men who are believed to have torched a car — causing it to explode — before he was knifed.

His killing in Fullwell Avenue at 10.20pm on Tuesday took the number of teenage homicides in London to a 10-year high.

Mohammed’s father Imran Mirza, 49, said his son, who was known to police, was about to start an apprenticeship in business and IT.

He told the Evening Standard: “He phoned his cousin and said, ‘I’ve been stabbed multiple times. Tell my mum I love her.’ Mohammed then recited a verse from the Koran.”

He added: “He looked after his two young sisters, they can’t stop crying. His mum is devastated.

“Mohammed was lured to the attack and ambushed. He wasn’t up to no good. He was in a friend’s car when he was attacked.” He added: “My son had put the trouble he was in behind him. He was about to start an apprenticeship and was turning his life around.

“He had been visiting his cousin. Just a normal night. Then his cousin called me and I headed out. I got to the scene and said, ‘That’s my son’.”

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Soole said it was “a particularly vicious attack”, adding “the possibility that the murder is gang-related is a very strong line of enquiry”.

So far this year, 25 teenagers have been killed in London, surpassing the toll of 24 for the whole of 2018.

Police have opened a murder investigation after a 40-year-old man who was shot in the head died in hospital.

The victim, named locally as estate agent Eron Miah, was found in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, shortly after 10.30pm on Tuesday. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but his life support was turned off last night.

There have been no arrests. Witnesses or anyone with any information are asked to call the incident room on 020 8345 3775 or police on 101, or via Twitter @MetCC.

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