Teenager, 18, charged with murdering De Montfort University pupil
A teenager has been charged with murder after a student was stabbed to death near a university campus.
De Montfort University student Khaleed Oladipo, 20, died in hospital on Tuesday after he was knifed in Oxford Street, Leicester.
Harper Dennis, 18, of North Road, West Drayton, London, has been charged with Oladipo’s murder and with the possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, Leicestershire Police confirmed.
Dennis is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
A post-mortem examination showed that Oladipo died from a stab wound to his chest.
He was studying cyber security at De Montfort University and was described by his relatives as ‘an extremely loved son, brother, uncle, boyfriend and friend.’
In a touching tribute, his family said: ‘Khaleed was a good boy who loved his family. He was in his second year at university, and we were so proud of him.
‘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.
Khaleed Oladipo, 20, a second-year student at De Montfort University in Leicester, was attacked just after 5pm on Tuesday evening
The De Montfort University student was found with knife wounds, just feet away from the university’s Journalism and Media department building. Pictured: Police forensics at the scene on Wednesday
‘We want to thank the members of the public who stopped to try and help Khalee,d 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 vice-chancellor Katie Normington said the killing of student Khaleed Oladipo was a ‘tragedy… deeply felt across our campus’.
She said: ‘A family has lost a beloved member and all our hearts go out to them. This tragedy is deeply felt across our campus and the city.
‘Khaleed was a member of our DMU community and we know this loss will be particularly difficult for those who knew him. We are directly supporting students who studied with Khaleed, as well as all our students and staff who feel this loss.
‘As a university we create opportunities for people to achieve, and seeing that cut off so tragically is devastating for all of us.’
A friend told the Daily Mail: ‘Khaleed was a great guy, he wasn’t someone who would cause any trouble but he’d stand up for himself if confronted.’
A murder investigation was launched after Khaleed was found collapsed on the floor in Oxford Street, close to De Montfort University’s Innovation Centre on Bonners Lane.
An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder. Pictured: The scene at the campus of De Montfort University in Leicester
He was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died a short time later.
Detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Major Crime Team are now trying to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Leicestershire Police are carrying out some enquiries, including reviewing CCTV and speaking to eyewitnesses, and are appealing for anyone with information or mobile phone or dash cam footage to come forward.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
