First picture of ‘cheeky’ boy, 17, killed in attack in quiet Welsh village

Five people have been arrested after a teenager was killed in an attack in a former mining town in South Wales.

Tristan Shae Kerr, 17, was fatally wounded in a terraced property in his hometown of Abertridwr, South Wales on Thursday.

Three men, aged 26, 24, and 18, were arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

Gwent Police also arrested two women aged 28 and 24 on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Tributes were paid to the rugby-loving teenager ‘who had his whole life in front of him’.

Tristan’s sister Lacey posted pictures of the pair growing up together to social media.

She said: ‘Oh Tristan, never in a million years did I think I’d be writing this. My heart is completely and utterly shattered.

‘I will never meet a soul on this planet quite yours, we argued like siblings but you’d never have a bad word said about me unless it was you.

‘The whole family is devastated, you hadn’t even started life. We still had so many things planned.

‘I can’t fathom that I’ll never see your cheeky smile again.

‘I want to wake up and this all be a dream. I love you so much your name will never ever be forgotten.’

Another sister wrote on Facebook: ‘Never thought I’d write this but [organising] a balloon send off for my beautiful angel.

‘It will be a farewell for my brother, everyone is welcome. Balloons, bring whatever you can to celebrate the life of Tristan.’

Another relative warned: ‘I do want to remind everyone that tomorrow we do not want to hear about what happened or people’s theories or opinions so keep them to yourself.’

Tristan’s cousin posted another tribute on Facebook, saying: ‘RIP to my little cousin Tristan. Only 17 years young. Devastating news.

‘My thoughts are with you today. We all love you and are sending our prayers.’

A former coach at Tristan’s rugby club Senghenydd, added: ‘Tristan will be fondly remembered by all those who had the pleasure of watching him shine on that pitch as a vibrant and talented young athlete. His passion for the game and playing with his friends, shone through.

‘A cheeky chap around the club, with an infectious smile & personality to boot.’

Tristan’s cause of death hasn’t been released but his friends urged each other to ‘put down knives’ in the wake of the killing.

Gwent police’s DCI Jitka Tomkova-Griffiths, in charge of the murder investigation, said: ‘Tristan’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers, and our thoughts remain with them and his friends at this difficult time.

‘We have made five arrests in connection with the investigation, and all five people remain in custody at this time.

‘Officers remain in the area to carry out their enquiries.

‘While we understand reports like these are concerning, it is important that people do not speculate about the identities of those involved as this could present problems to our investigation.

‘If anyone has any information, however, please speak to our officers or contact us in the usual way.’

The teenager’s friend Jack set up a GoFundMe in his memory looking to raise £7,500 to help his mother with funeral costs.

He said: ‘Tristan had his whole life ahead of him, a boy with pure potential in life.

‘He had the most contagious smile and would light up any room he would walk into.’

To donate, please click here.

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