An 18-year-old student was stabbed to death while out celebrating the end of the first semester of college in England, according to authorities.
Henry Nowak was walking along a road in Portswood — about 75 miles southwest of London, along the southern coast of England — when he became involved in an altercation with two men he did not know, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary announced Sunday.
When officers arrived, Nowak had a puncture wound to his chest and two to the back of his leg. He was pronounced dead at the scene, cops said.
His family revealed in a statement shared by authorities that Nowak was a freshman accounting and finance major at Southampton College and had been out celebrating the end of his first semester when he was slain.
“Our kind, intelligent, and talented son was in his first year at Southampton University studying Accountancy and Finance. He’d smashed his A-levels and was fully embracing university life, joining not one but two football teams, making new friends as well as working part-time at the local Morrisons,” a supermarket chain, his family said in a statement.
“Henry was loved by all those that knew him. He was an incredible son, brother, cousin, grandson, nephew, friend and teammate. He was an all-round top lad and everyone who was lucky enough to share his company thought the same,” his family added.
“He went on a night out with his new football team mates, celebrating the end of their first semester at uni. Devastatingly, he never made it home.”
Two men, ages 22 and 26, were in custody on suspicion of murder in connection with Nowak’s death, a Hampshire Constabulary spokesman told the BBC.
A 51-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of murder, but was released on bail, and a 52-year-old woman is in custody on suspicion of assisting an offender, the outlet reported.
Their names have not yet been released.
His family added in a tribute that they are “heartbroken” over the loss of their son.
“Our hearts ache when we think of the bright future he had ahead of him, full of opportunity and adventures,” his family wrote.
“There are no words to describe just how heartbroken we are that we will never get to see him grow and [fulfill] his awesome potential. We are so proud of him and all he achieved. Our world will never be the same without our amazing Henry.”
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, cops said.
