A second teenager has been charged with the murder of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was fatally shot in a stairwell in Woolwich, south-east London. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday that a 15-year-old boy, arrested on May 6, has been charged with murder and will appear at Barkingside Youth Court on Thursday, May 7.
Details of the Incident
Emergency services were called to Lord Warwick Street, behind Woolwich Dockyard station, at approximately 3:40 PM on April 2. Eghosa Ogbebor, 14, was found with serious injuries and pronounced dead at the scene. The Met Police launched a murder investigation, leading to multiple arrests.
A 16-year-old from Romford, east London, was arrested on April 10 and charged with murder. He appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court the following day and was remanded in custody. Both teenagers cannot be named due to their age.
Court Proceedings
During earlier proceedings, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC alleged that the 16-year-old defendant chased Eghosa and shot him once in the chest at the top of a stairwell. The 16-year-old was first arrested on April 4, two days after the shooting, and released on bail. He was re-arrested on April 9 and charged with murder on April 10. He has been remanded to youth detention accommodation, with a plea and trial preparation hearing set for July 3. A provisional six-week trial is scheduled to start on January 18, 2027.
Ongoing Investigation
The Met Police stated that their investigation remains active. Officers have also arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man in Woolwich on suspicion of murder, as well as a 46-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three were released on bail. Additionally, two boys aged 14 and 16, and an 18-year-old man arrested on April 3 have been bailed.
Tributes and Community Reaction
In the aftermath of Eghosa's death, family and friends laid tributes at the scene. The teenager was reportedly an aspiring rapper who released snippets of songs recorded at school under the name 'Y.Risky'. One tribute described the situation as 'just awful', while another mourner said, 'It's Easter and should be a time for celebration, but they are grieving. It's just awful.'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the killing as 'appalling', stating, 'My thoughts are with the family, friends and wider community in Woolwich following the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy. There is absolutely no place for this heartbreaking violence.'
Speaking at the family home in Abbey Wood, Eghosa's aunt revealed he had told his mother he was going out to film a rap video. 'He loved music, he was so talented and lived for it. On the day he was shot, he had gone out to film a video with his friends. He never came back. His mother is broken. He was so young, just a boy,' she told Metro.
