Harper Dennis from London will appear in court tomorrow, accused of murdering 20-year-old Khaleed Oladipo
Harper Dennis from London will appear in court tomorrow, accused of murdering 20-year-old Khaleed Oladipo near De Montford University.
Dennis, of West Drayton, London, has also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He is also facing two counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, unrelated to the murder investigation.
Mr Oladipo, a cybersecurity student, died in hospital on Tuesday evening following the attack in Oxford Street, Leicester, which occurred at around 5pm.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Oladipo died from a stab wound to the chest while on his way home to watch Arsenal's Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
In a tribute, Mr Oladipo’s family said: “We cannot begin to put into words how sad we are to have lost Khaleed. He was an extremely loved son, brother, uncle, boyfriend and friend.
"Khaleed was a good boy who loved his family. He was in his second year at university, and we were so proud of him."
His family added: “One of his main passions was football and he had played since the age of four. He was an Arsenal supporter and we believe he was on his way home to watch the game later that night when he was stabbed and killed.
“We want to thank the members of the public who stopped to try and help Khaleed and the ambulance service and hospital staff who did all they could to try and save him.
“We are also really grateful to the police for their efforts in the investigation so far to ensure the person responsible is brought to justice. We are struggling to understand why anyone would do this. We know getting justice for Khaleed will not bring him back but we will make sure that he gets the justice he deserves.”
De Montford University said on Wednesday that it is supporting students and staff who "witnessed" the stabbing.
A statement read: "We are aware of a very serious incident on our campus this evening.
"We are working with Leicestershire Police as they launch an immediate investigation.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by what has happened.
"We are offering direct support to students and staff who witnessed the incident.”
Multiple streets were closed as a serious incident was declared – but students and their parents waited hours before more details about the incident was made public.
Speaking from the scene, LBC reporter George Icke said: "Staff from a student accommodation company have told officers in the cordon that they’ve had parents calling them in tears as they can’t get hold of their children and they’re getting more concerned as time goes on."
