Friends to hold vigil for teenage boy killed in street

Friends of schoolboy Amen Teklay will hold a vigil in Glasgow later as a police investigation continues into his murder.

The 15-year-old died in the street last Wednesday after being found injured following a violent incident in the city’s St George’s Cross area.

Police Scotland have arrested two boys, aged 14 and 15, in connection with the death.

The afternoon vigil will be held at a football park where Amen played near his home in Scotstoun.

Jamie O’Neill, Amen’s support worker at Kingsway Community Connections, said it was open to all to come along.

“The last few days have been a mixture of grief and numbness, and people sharing stories of happiness when they speak about Amen,” he said.

“His young friends at school were wondering what they could do and came up with the idea that they should hold a vigil.

“It’s their way to pay tribute to their friend, come together and support each other.”

Police said Amen’s death was an isolated incident and they were keeping an “open mind” to motives.

Emergency services attended the incident on Clarendon Street at 22:30 on Wednesday but the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following a post-mortem examination Police Scotland said his death was being treated as murder.

Amen, who is originally from Eritrea, lived with his father in Glasgow and had recently been granted ‘right to remain’ status in the UK.

He attended St Thomas Aquinas secondary school in Jordanhill.

Amen’s sister Delina Teklay, 17, said he had hopes of gaining UK citizenship and becoming either a basketball player, a doctor or engineer.

She told BBC Scotland News that Amen was “not just my brother, he was my best friend”.

She said he was a “really sweet person, so kind and so bright”.

Police Scotland launched a major investigation into Amen’s death.

Det Supt Cheryl Kelly said “answers lie with the local community” and officers were reviewing CCTV and carrying out door-to-door inquiries.

The force said inquires were ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact them via a major investigations public portal.