A “broken and distraught” mother of a 20-year-old man stabbed to death in a town near Manchester has paid tribute to her “lovely” son.
At 9.30pm on Friday, Greater Manchester Police were called by the ambulance service responding to a report of a stabbing on Cheetham Hill Road, Dukinfield, in Tameside.
Dylan Keelan, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene, and four boys, two aged 16 and two aged 17, were arrested on suspicion of murder.
His mother mum, Nicola, said: “Dylan, my son, was a lovely, hardworking, kind and respectful boy.
#UPDATE | The mother of 20-year-old Dylan Keelan who was fatally stabbed on Cheetham Hill Road in Dukinfield, Tameside has paid tribute to her 'lovely, hardworking, kind and respectful boy'.
More here: https://t.co/BuokNODI0X pic.twitter.com/bMly4894zD
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) February 6, 2022
“He absolutely loved his family and close friends. Dylan will be missed dearly by everyone who had the pleasure to be around him.
“He will never be forgotten and will always be in my heart and part of my life. It is difficult to put into words at this moment as I am broken and distraught.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone for their support, kind words and donations.
“Finally, in Dylan’s own words, ‘Always find a way to turn a negative into a positive’, so let’s all stay strong together.”
GMP said two of the boys arrested remain in custody for questioning, while the others were released under investigation.
Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information or dashcam footage from the surrounding area at around the time of the incident is asked to contact police.
Detective Inspector Lee Shaw, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Our thoughts are with Dylan’s loved ones, specialist colleagues are liaising with them.
“We have two suspects in custody but our investigation is very much ongoing so I appeal to anyone who can assist us in any way, shape or form to get in touch.
“Extra officers remain in the area to reassure the community whilst exercising their powers to carry out increased stops and searches under Section 60.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.