Remembering Harvey Willgoose’s legacy one year on from the murder that changed Sheffield
One year on from the murder of Sheffield schoolboy Harvey Willgoose, The Star reflects on the legacy of a 15-year-old boy whose death changed Sheffield.
A bleed kit is a bright red emergency bag designed to save lives and control catastrophic bleeding, containing a tourniquet, gauze, a chest seal and visual guides.
Today, there is one in over 30 secondary schools in South Yorkshire.
They weren’t there a year ago, and every parent in Sheffield knows exactly why they are there now.
The murder of Harvey Willgoose
It was on February 3, 2025, one year ago today, when 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose shouted to his mum he was going to school, told her ‘love you,’ and left.
Harvey had been sick with anxiety for days and struggling with school-avoidance. The week before, his school - All Saints Catholic High - had gone into lockdown over reports of a knife on site and threats against one of his friends.
But his family were proud of him on that Monday when he made the decision to go to class.
Five hours later, they learned the tragic news that he had died.
Harvey was stabbed during lunch break by Mohammed ‘Umar’ Khan, a 15-year-old former friend of Harvey’s who brought a hunting knife to school and was later found guilty of murder.
The weapon-obsessed teen had been ‘beefing’ with Harvey and his friends online for days, even confronting Harvey earlier that Monday in the hallway where he shoved and goaded the teenager. Harvey kept his hands behind his back and refused to rise to the challenge.
Evidence in court later revealed that teachers had been anxious that something was brewing. Following his poor attendance in recent days, teacher Claire Staniforth spoke to Harvey that morning, where he jokingly replied: “As if anyone’s going to stab me.”
Just three hours later, Ms Staniforth rushed to be by Harvey’s side in his final moments.
And, by the next day, Harvey’s face was in every newspaper and on every news broadcast in the country.
In the year since
The show of unity and grief from Sheffield was immediate. Flowers and tributes piled up outside of the school, as well as outside Bramall Lane for the young Blades fan.
Five days after his death, hundreds of people, including several members of Harvey’s family, marched through Sheffield in his memory in a stand against knife crime.
The city centre fell silent on February 21, when more than a thousand people gathered for his funeral at Sheffield Cathedral. Those who couldn’t be one of the 750 people inside the church today congregated outside to watch the service, which was broadcast on a big screen. The crowds of mourners outside wore a mixture of formal wear, Sheffield United tops and T-shirts emblazoned with Harvey’s face.
Ever since, Harvey’s family has campaigned for hardline measures to fight knife crime in schools, and regularly promote an online petition calling for mandatory bag checks and knife arches in ”every school.”
A damning report released today reveals Khan was allowed into school on the day of the killing without being searched, despite an open investigation into him carrying knives.
The then 15-year-old had previously brought an axe in his bag into schoo” and he had once carried a knife and brought a BB gun on a school trip.
At his former school, Silverdale, he had 130 incidents on his record for violence, gangs, weapons and anger related concerns.
Harvey’s family want strict policies implemented for handling students caught with weapons, ensuring they do not return to class without proper intervention.
The findings of an external review into the murder at All Saints Catholic High School found “several missed opportunities” to act on serious warning signs, including concerns about weapons and violent behaviour.
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The report makes 10 recommendations for schools, academy trusts, Sheffield City Council and the Department for Education, aimed at preventing further knife crime in schools.
But at a press conference this week, Harvey’s mum Caroline was asked whether children are safer in schools today.
“No,” she replied.
“The one place children should be safe is in school,” she added.
Harvey’s family spoke to renew their commitment to fighting knife crime, and want the report published in full to expose the extent of the failings as a lesson to other schools.
Harvey’s legacy
Harvey’s death changed Sheffield, quite simply.
Knife crime was dragged into the spotlight and became an unavoidable conversation for perhaps every household in the city.
There has been a lot of good done in Harvey’s memory in the past year, reflected in the walk in his name on February 1 this year to mark the anniversary of his murder.
The Willgoose family has campaigned extensively with groups like Anthony Olaseinde’s ‘Always An Alternative’ as well as ‘Binning Knives Saves Lives’ to oppose knife crime.
But sweeping changes are slow to follow - who knows how long the recommendations in the All Saints report will take to spread to other schools, and it is believed thay only one secondary in Sheffield has so far agreed to install a permanent knife arch - at Sheffield College’s City Campus.
But change is happening. In November 2025, a ceremony at Hinde House Academy was held to welcome a permanent bleed kit on site, making it the first of 30 in South Yorkshire to commit to do so.
This week, Caroline shared a number of pictures with The Star to show the life of they young boy who was described as having a ‘warm and caring nature’, and ‘cheeky’ sense of humour.
“I can’t believe it’s nearly a year since I last saw him,” she told The Star.
“It’s actually getting worse, not easier, because we’re missing him more.
“We’ve had the trial, then my dad passing away, and it just doesn’t feel real that it’s been a year.
“We’re just trying to carry on and make things better in Harvey’s name.”