Brent Cross stabbing: Mum's agony as 'wonderful' son, 21, knifed to death in shopping centre
Charlotte Adams
Published Sep 20, 2026
A "HEARTBROKEN" mum has paid tribute to her "wonderful" son after he was stabbed to death in a busy shopping centre.
Gedeon Ngwadema, 21, was reportedly knifed in the neck during a brawl at the mall in Brent Cross, north west London, yesterday.
10
10
He had been shopping with his mother just hours before he was fatally stabbed during a fight at around 6:45pm.
Paramedics battled to save him, but he died at the scene.
An 18-year-old man was arrested nearby on suspicion of murder, and a second man, believed to be 18, was arrested on suspicion of affray.
Gedeon's grief-stricken mum, Thethe Elonga, collapsed in tears as she placed flowers at the scene of her son's killing this morning.
Ms Elonga told the Evening Standard: “I’m heartbroken. He was a wonderful boy, respectful and lovely.
"He did very well at school and had a very bright future ahead of him.”
10
10
She added: “I don’t know how this could have happened. He was a great boy and loved by everyone.”
Gedeon, from nearby Colindale, was the 33rd person to be murdered in London this year.
He had been shopping with his mum then received a call at home from a pal before leaving, his family said.
Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: "We are directly appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident and is able to help us with our investigation.
"We are especially urging anyone with footage of the incident or the aftermath to get in touch with us immediately.
"There was a significant number of people nearby when this tragic incident happened and I am confident that there are people out there who are yet to come forward.
10
10
"No matter how insignificant the information may seem to you, please contact the police as soon as possible."
She added: "As you can imagine, Gedeon's family are experiencing unimaginable grief and we want to bring answers and justice to them as quickly as we can.
"This is a complex investigation and we appreciate the local community's support and understanding while we continue to conduct our enquiries."
Gedeon's uncle Fred said: “He was a very good boy, quiet and polite.
“He wanted to do businesses studies and then set up his own business one day selling clothing or food.
“It’s very shocking and I feel completely down - it’s unbelievable.
“He’d just been shopping with his mum to buy some water when his friends called and said 'oh bruv, can you come.'
“He said 'man, I’m tired, I don’t want to go out, I just want to stay here with my mum.'
I’m heartbroken. He was a wonderful boy, respectful and lovely
Thethe Elonga, Gedeon's mum
“Then he came here and then he was stabbed.”
Police were called at around 6.45pm after reports of a fight at Brent Cross one of Britain's busiest shopping centres.
Terrified witnesses described seeing the callous stabbing on the second floor of the precinct.
One eyewitness tweeted: "It happened in front of my eyes.
"He was very calm and just said in the calmest voice “someone call me an ambulance”.
"My condolences to his family."
Another witness told the Standard: "I was waiting in a queue and I saw a fight of around 10-12 young guys outside of M&S, they got the attention of security, staff and everyone.
10
10
10
“He stabbed the guy in the neck... it all happened so quick.
“They were fighting between each other so I am assuming he took out the knife and did it without thinking twice.
"I saw them fighting and then one fall on the ground. People rushed to help him as the other youngsters escaped.”
Shoppers said the stabbing happened on the second floor outside a store, but it was unclear exactly where.
Another witness said: “I just caught the aftermath, they had somebody on the floor behind some privacy screens outside M&S.
"They were using a defibrillator on him so it must have been serious."
Video showed police in the doorway of a River Island store as shoppers were evacuated.
One worker told the Sun Online: "It happened inside the building by the M&S store.
"It was just stupid boys fighting. They evacuated the building. The two lads that did it were arrested at the scene."
KNIFE HORROR
The Met has launched a murder probe following the horrifying fatal stabbing, the fourth in less than a fortnight in the capital.
Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, who is in charge of policing in north west London, said: “My thoughts are with the loved ones of the young man who has been killed in this incident.
“I would like to offer my thanks to the members of the public who came to his aid. They showed considerable courage.
“Two people have been arrested and an investigation is already under way. We will do all we can to identify and bring to justice those responsible.
“The public can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area through the rest of this evening and in the days to come.”
The shopping centre was open at the time of the incident and it is likely that there were a number of witnesses.
The killing is 26th fatal stabbing in the capital this year so far.
Most read in News
London mayor Sadiq Khan, who is running for re-election this Thursday, pledges to continue lobbying the government for an extra £159 million a year for the Met Police's crime budget.
He also said he would continue to lobby the government to deliver on its promise of 20,000 new officers where London would see 6,000 new cops.
Since March 2020, there have been more than 15,9000 knife crimes across London.
10
