An elderly man riding a mobility scooter who was stabbed to death in a “shocking act” of “unprovoked violence” in west London has been named by police as Thomas O’Halloran.
The attack on the 87-year-old happened on Cayton Road in Greenford, Ealing, just after 4pm on Tuesday.
Police were called to reports of a man with stab injuries, and despite the efforts of paramedics, he was declared dead at the scene.
Mr O’Halloran, a grandfather, played the accordion and would busk outside the local supermarket to raise money.
Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson described the incident as a “shocking act” of “unprovoked violence”.
Speaking at the crime scene on Wednesday, he said: “I understand that our community will quite rightly be shocked and appalled by this incident, as I am too.
“We are now able to name the man who has tragically lost his life as Mr Thomas O’Halloran who lived in Greenford and was a very well-known and much-loved member of our community.
“My thoughts very much remain with Mr O’Halloran’s family and friends today.
“I’d also like to appeal for their privacy to be respected while they come to terms with their loss.”
‘He always used to smile’
Simran Advani, 25, a senior property manager who lives near to where the attack happened, said she often saw the elderly man on his mobility scooter.
She said: “We always used to see him on his mobility scooter – he always used to smile, he was a nice old man.”
“This is a very quiet area, you never hear any noise on this street,” she added.
“It was just like a normal day today. There’s a parade of shops just round the corner under the train tracks and through an alleyway which he might have been heading from or to.”