A 15-year-old boy murdered in one of Britain's busiest railway stations during rush hour was has been named by Scotland Yard as Sofyen Belamouadden.
The teenager, from Acton, west London, suffered multiple stab wounds during a fracas at Victoria Underground station, in central London, on Thursday.
The detective leading the murder investigation said he believes Sofyen may have died during a pre-arranged fight.
Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said: "I believe this was a pre-planned fight; a number of individuals travelled by various bus routes to Victoria carrying weapons, however I retain an open mind re motive at this stage."
He added: "We continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and tell us what they saw on that Thursday night. The incident took place during a busy rush hour and I am appealing for anyone who was there to speak with us."
More than 1,600 people joined a group called RIP Sofyen on social networking site Facebook.
Detectives are holding 19 boys aged between 15 and 17 who are mainly from south London.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said a number of weapons had been recovered and all are undergoing forensic examination. At least two knives were recovered from the scene of the attack. A man in his 30s who was also arrested was later released with no further action to be taken.
Witnesses said a gang of attackers wearing school uniform chased the victim from the busy station concourse into an Underground ticket hall. Sofyen, a pupil at the Henry Compton School in Fulham, west London, was then knifed repeatedly in the chest.
Police and paramedics went to his aid as colleagues began arresting suspects as they tried to jump on buses to escape. Several teenagers were held in nearby Vauxhall Bridge Road and behind The Stag pub in Bressenden Place.
The teenager, from Acton, west London, suffered multiple stab wounds during a fracas at Victoria Underground station, in central London, on Thursday.
The detective leading the murder investigation said he believes Sofyen may have died during a pre-arranged fight.
Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said: "I believe this was a pre-planned fight; a number of individuals travelled by various bus routes to Victoria carrying weapons, however I retain an open mind re motive at this stage."
He added: "We continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and tell us what they saw on that Thursday night. The incident took place during a busy rush hour and I am appealing for anyone who was there to speak with us."
More than 1,600 people joined a group called RIP Sofyen on social networking site Facebook.
Detectives are holding 19 boys aged between 15 and 17 who are mainly from south London.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said a number of weapons had been recovered and all are undergoing forensic examination. At least two knives were recovered from the scene of the attack. A man in his 30s who was also arrested was later released with no further action to be taken.
Witnesses said a gang of attackers wearing school uniform chased the victim from the busy station concourse into an Underground ticket hall. Sofyen, a pupil at the Henry Compton School in Fulham, west London, was then knifed repeatedly in the chest.
Police and paramedics went to his aid as colleagues began arresting suspects as they tried to jump on buses to escape. Several teenagers were held in nearby Vauxhall Bridge Road and behind The Stag pub in Bressenden Place.
