Halifax stabbings: Murder inquiry launched as second victim dies

Police and forensic officers outside The Victoria Theatre near the scene of a triple stabbing in Commercial Street

A second man has died after three people were stabbed in Halifax.

Officers were called to Commercial Street in the early hours of Sunday after reports the men had been assaulted, West Yorkshire Police said.

A 21-year-old died shortly afterwards in hospital and police said a 19-year-old had also died on Sunday evening.

Three men, two aged 18 and one aged 19, have been arrested in connection with the incident and a murder investigation has been launched.

The suspects remain in police custody.

The third victim, an 18-year-old man, received treatment for an injury that was not life-threatening.

One of the young men who died has been named locally as Haidar Shah.

Friends and family of the victims laid floral tributes at the scene of the incident on Monday.

Matthew Clegg, a friend of one of the victims, said: "It's just horrible, I just don't know what to feel.

"I don't know how I'm going to cope without him. I just don't know why it's happened."

Flowers and cards were placed on a bench near the scene

Det Ch Insp Matt Holdsworth said specialist officers were supporting the families of both men who died.

He said police were "determined to get answers for them and ensure that the person or people responsible are made to face justice for their actions".

"I understand people locally will be rightly concerned and I want to reassure people that we are doing everything we can to investigate all possible lines of enquiry to understand the full circumstances of what took place," he said.

He asked anyone with information or footage of the incident to contact police.

The scene remained cordoned off on Monday morning

Three men were arrested in connection with the stabbings