
Police in the West Midlands have arrested a 14-year-old boy for the murder of a 12-year-old schoolboy in Birmingham.
According to The GuardianWest Midlands Police said on Saturday 25 January 2025 that a teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, has been charged with six counts of assault, possession of a bladed object and the murder of Leo Ross, 12, who was stabbed in the stomach on his way home from school in Birmingham.
A member of the public found Leo in a wooded area near the railroad tracks with a stab wound to his abdomen on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at approximately 3:40 p.m. Because of the serious injuries, he was taken to the hospital at 7:30 p.m.
West Midlands Police said: “We have charged a 14-year-old boy with the murder of Leo Ross, who died after being stabbed in Hall Green on Tuesday. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday after being charged this afternoon with Leo’s murder and possession of a bladed object.
“Following a thorough investigation and review of all available evidence, we have also charged the 14-year-old boy with six additional assaults, none of which involved the use of a knife,” they added.
Furthermore, Leo’s family paid tribute to their ‘amazing, kind, loving boy’, saying: ‘Not only was Leo’s life taken, so were all of our lives. Leo will be truly missed by all of us. He was so loved by all of us and we want to thank the school, the police and everyone involved in the investigation and supporting us at this terrible time.”
Leo was a pupil at Christ Church, the Church of England’s secondary academy in Yardley Wood.