Bristol stabbings: 'Young people are frightened'

Mason Rist (left) and Max Dixon (right) died after an attack in the Knowle West area of Bristol

As two more teenagers lose their lives to knife crime, questions are being asked once more about why so many young people are carrying weapons.

Hearing from people in the Knowle West area of Bristol where Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were attacked, the shock is clear on their faces and the pain in their voices.

The deaths come in the wake of several similar incidents in the city, including the killing of 19-year-old Eddie Kinuthia, who was stabbed in St Pauls in August. No one has been charged following his death.

The local community say they are frustrated and "enough is enough".

"It's terrible, terrible - it's happening again and again," Chris 'Skemer' Winters who runs a boxing club in the South Bristol area of the city, said.

"[Young kids] cannot walk from one end of Knowle West to the other end without someone pulling a knife on them.

"They are trying to take their money or pinch their mobile phone. And they have got all these face coverings on."

Among the club's attendants was Max Dixon. He and Mason died in hospital after being attacked on Ilminster Avenue at about 23:20 GMT on Saturday.

Tributes have been laid for Max and Mason, who were fatally stabbed on Saturday

Chris' frustration is shared by many in the local community who want to know why incidents with knives are occurring, and what is being done to prevent them.

The area, which has long suffered from a lack of funding, often gets a bad reputation, which Chris said needs to be broken, but he added that he thinks more policing is needed.

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"I do not see any police officers walking down the street," he said.

"I have had to go and buy a minibus out my own pocket so I can go and pick these children up, take them to the gym and take them back home, so I know they are safe."

"Although it seems ironic, they often carry knives to protect themselves," said Martin Bisp

Like Chris, Martin Bisp also works with young people in the area and said they have had young people murdered that have attended the gym.

"I think young people are frightened," he said.

'Armed for protection'

Martin runs a charity called Empire Fighting Chance that offers non-contact boxing classes to young people.

He said that children have a feeling of "apprehension".

"We talk to a lot of young people who are carrying knives for their own protection. They are worried about being on streets and repercussions," he said.

He said there needs to be better understanding in society why young people are carrying knives, and what can be done to reduce weapon possession.

"Here at Empire we have been working with international partners such as Canada, Colombia and the United States to understand how they reduce violence in their cities," he said.

"[But] we can not do this in isolation and we certainly will not do it through policing or just through education.

"It needs to be a whole city-wide effort that tackles both disadvantage and offers positive outlets in aspiration for young people who are probably struggling and quite vulnerable."

Avon and Somerset Police Supt Mark Runacres is leading the latest murder investgation

Supt Mark Runacres from Avon and Somerset Police said the force has more than 100 officers working around the clock on the investigation.

He said more than 250 items have been seized so far - including a number of weapons - and "several" properties have been searched.

Supt Runacres said he "absolutely" believes the two deaths this week are not the result of gang conflicts.

"We have an open mind around the motive behind the dreadful offence that was committed but no wider indications around gang warfare - certainly not," he said.

In the force's patch, which includes Bristol, knife crime is far higher than it was 10 years ago - but a little lower than it was in 2020.

In parts of the West, a rise in knife crime triggered by a series of offences in 2018 slowed in 2022 and 2023.

Knife crime rates in the Avon and Somerset force area are around the national average.

Knowle West's Labour MP, Karin Smith, said she believes gangs made up of largely older men are "grooming our children to be part of this".

She said those men are getting younger people to "do their work for them", and called for stronger sanctions for adult criminals.

"We will wrap our arms around the community," she added.

"We need to bring that structure and support in the coming days, and we need people to come forward to the police."

Carly Kingdon said Max was "just a really nice lad, always had a smile on his face"

Carly Kingdon, welfare officer at Park Knowle Football Club, where Max was a player, had known him since he was a baby.

"We're shocked and devastated, it's really close to home," she said.

But organisations like hers are "not getting the help" they need from the authorities, Carly added.

"We're trying to help," she said.

"We can only do so much as voluntary community groups. It shouldn't take things like this for people to stand up and realise what's going on."

The attack has sent shock-waves through the community this week

Carly added: "They've taken away so much from this community. It's not always about money.

"Even if we had police coming down and talking to the kids and getting that relationship with them where they're not just frightened of them.

"Things like that would make a big difference, especially for that age group."

One thing that most people agree on, is that education need to play a big part in tackling the problem.

Chris wants more people - including parents, schools and police - to talk and educate young people about knife crime and its impact.

"If you walked around the street with a balaclava on 30 years ago you'd have been arrested," said Chris 'Skemer' Winters

Knife crime can affect all age groups, but it is the 12 to 24 age group that is the group most likely to carry a knife, and also fall victim to violence involving one, police say.

Twice a year, Avon and Somerset Police run Operation Sceptre, a targeted short-term campaign to reduce knife crime, involving measures such as weapons sweeps of public spaces and increased patrols.

Two men, aged 20 and 22, have been arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to Max and Mason's deaths.

A 15-year-old boy and a 44-year-old-man have also been arrested, along with a 26-year-old man detained on Tuesday.

All five remain in police custody and Avon and Somerset Police said it expects to make more arrests.