Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a talented teenage footballer was stabbed to death.
Joshua Bwalya, 16, was found lying in the street at Movers Lane in Barking, east London, on Wednesday around 1am after an attack that also left a man and a teenager wounded.
Scotland Yard said two other males, including one who is aged 18, are in custody at an east London police station.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Holmes, of the Metropolitan Police's homicide and major crime command, described the attack as "a senseless act of violence".
He added: "While we have made these arrests I would like to stress that this is still very much an ongoing investigation and I would reiterate my appeal for information."
The teenager, who played for Barking FC's youth team, was pronounced dead at the scene while two males, aged 16 and 20, were found with stab wounds nearby.
The pair were taken to different London hospitals before being arrested on suspicion of murder.
Both have been released with no further action.
A post-mortem examination has recorded multiple stab wounds as the cause of death.
His family paid tribute to him as a “beautiful boy who had his whole life ahead of him”.
They said Joshua, who had just finished his GCSEs, was attacked after a party at a local community centre.
The party at the Ripple Centre ended early because a fight broke out when about 20 youths arrived, his family said.
Joshua, a former Dagenham Park school pupil, was about to start college, where he was to study business.
His parents are both originally from Zambia. His father is an accountant and his mother is studying to be a mental health nurse. He has an older brother and four older sisters, and had a girlfriend he had been seeing for several months.
Anyone with information should call the Homicide and Major Crime Command Incident Room on 020 8345 1570 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or tweet @MetCC.
