A 16-year-old boy died following a stabbing on London Road in Chippenham on Saturday, January 31.
He was found with stab injuries at around 4pm and was rushed to hospital, where he died as a result of his wounds.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested shortly afterwards in connection with the incident and remains in custody.
Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Wilkinson has since paid tribute to the boy who died following the incident and says investigations into what happened remain ongoing.
He said: “Firstly, my upmost thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the 16-year-old boy who has died following a stabbing in Chippenham on Saturday afternoon.
“To see a young life ended in this way is truly horrendous.
“In a close-knit community like Chippenham, the effects of this will be felt across the town and I would like to reassure you that Wiltshire Police acted quickly once this tragic incident unfolded, with a 15-year-old boy arrested shortly after, who remains in police custody.
“Officers must now be given the time and space to fully investigate and I urge our communities to avoid speculation while criminal proceedings are active and a family grieves the loss of their child.”
(Image: Trevor Porter)
PCC Wilkinson said the incident, which took place in “broad daylight” will have shocked residents in the London Road area of Chippenham.
An increased police presence will be in place as a result of the incident.
He added: “Thankfully, incidents like this are rare in Chippenham, and Wiltshire as a whole, but that doesn’t mean residents won’t be shocked when they hear that a teenager has died following a stabbing in broad daylight.
“As a result of this, residents around this part of the town will see the mobile police station in the area and an increased police presence over the course of this week.
“I would appeal to anyone with any information to speak to the officers, call 101 or report anonymously through Crimestoppers.
“We must prevent other families and communities from being left with similar unimaginable grief and loss, which is why it is important that we identify the issues and address the root causes that lead to knife crime.”
The PCC insisted that his office, working alongside Wiltshire Police, is taking steps to tackle knife crime in the county.
He said: “Quite understandably, I know that people will be asking what is being done.
“My office, along with all our partners, are working hard to encourage young people to think again before they pick up a knife.
“Through working with Wiltshire Police and our local authorities, we have created a comprehensive package of education and engagement initiatives which are designed to steer young people away from knife crime and supports the work which is already done by Neighbourhood Policing Teams.
“It is up to us to review the effectiveness of these measures, but I would also like to appeal to parents and carers to step forward and share with us any concerns they do have.
“For any parents or carers who are worried about their children, I’d like to point them to the knife crime section on the ‘Check It Out’ part of my website.
“Young people, especially teenagers, need to feel safe, and we must reinforce at every level that carrying a knife will never solve the challenges they face.
“By working together, we can aim to avoid similar situations to the senseless tragedy we have seen in Chippenham this weekend.”