Two teenagers in critical condition after linked stabbings in Dagenham
Two teenagers remain in critical condition in hospital after two stabbings minutes apart in Dagenham on Friday evening. The violence is reported to have been broadcast live on TikTok, with a teenager seen carrying a machete during the livestream.
The Metropolitan Police was called at about 6.10pm on Friday 9 October to Terrace Walk, next to Parsloes Park, where a 19-year-old man was found with stab injuries. Minutes later, a 17-year-old boy was discovered with similar injuries on Fanshawe Crescent, roughly 0.3 miles away.
Both teenagers were taken by road to a major trauma centre, where their injuries were assessed as life-threatening. The force is treating the two incidents as linked, and both teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon.
Emergency response
The London Ambulance Service sent two ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer to the area. London’s Air Ambulance was also dispatched and landed in Parsloes Park to support the medics on the ground.
At least one of the casualties was transported to hospital as a priority because of the severity of the injuries. The response drew on some of the most senior trauma resources available in the capital, reflecting how seriously the injuries were assessed at the scene.
Terrace Walk and Fanshawe Crescent sit in a densely populated residential area around Parsloes Park, one of the larger open spaces in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Cordons were put in place on Friday evening while officers secured the scenes and began their enquiries.
Police investigation
Detectives are working to establish the full timeline of events leading up to the violence. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the two incidents are being treated as linked, citing the close proximity of the locations and the short gap between the emergency calls.
Both teenagers were arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. Enquiries are continuing, and officers are keen to hear from anyone who was in the area on Friday evening or who has photographs or video footage that could help.
The reported TikTok livestream has added a further dimension to the investigation. Officers routinely appeal for social media footage after serious incidents, and detectives will be examining any recordings of the confrontation as part of their enquiries. Anyone who saw the broadcast or has a copy of the footage is asked to contact police rather than sharing it further online.
Appeal for information
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call 101, quoting CAD 5813/09OCT26. Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.
Police are particularly keen to hear from people who were near Terrace Walk or Fanshawe Crescent between 6pm and 6.30pm on Friday, as well as anyone who may have dashcam or doorbell footage covering the surrounding streets.
Knife crime in the borough
The stabbings come amid continuing concern about knife crime involving young people across east London. The Metropolitan Police and Barking and Dagenham Council have in recent years deployed targeted patrols and community engagement programmes aimed at steering teenagers away from carrying weapons.
Parsloes Park and the streets around it have previously been the focus of police activity, including weapons sweeps and stop-and-search operations. Local leaders have repeatedly urged young people to put down knives, warning of the devastating consequences for victims, families and those who carry blades.
Youth workers in the borough say social media has changed the dynamics of teenage violence, with confrontations arranged, recorded and shared online. Police and councils across London have been working with schools and community groups to counter the glamorisation of weapons on social platforms.
The investigation continues. Further updates will follow as detectives piece together what happened on Friday evening and the cases progress.
