Candlelit vigils held for schoolgirl Brianna Gheyon February 14, 2023 at 8:26 pm

Candlelit vigils have been held for 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, who was stabbed to death in a park.

The schoolgirl was found lying wounded on a path in Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire, on Saturday.

She was a transgender girl and detectives are considering whether her death was a hate crime, as they try to establish a motive for the attack.

The vigils, organised by members of the transgender community, were held in Liverpool and Bristol.

People gathered together at College Green in Bristol city centre on Tuesday evening while at the same time a vigil took place at St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

In the coming days, vigils are due to be held in cities around the UK including Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds.

Additional events are planned in Aberdeen, Reading, Plymouth, Brighton, Belfast, London and York.

Brianna’s family have paid tribute to their “much loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister”, and said her death had left a “massive hole”.

Donations on a GoFundMe crowdfunding page set up for Brianna’s family, which said the schoolgirl was “looking forward to taking her exams this year”, have reached nearly £80,000.

Police said a post-mortem examination was planned and searches were continuing for the weapon used.

Officers have also been granted a 30-hour extension to question a boy and girl, both aged 15, who have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Tributes have also been paid to Brianna on social media and in particular TikTok, where she had a huge following.

One message described her as a “sweet angel” and a “beautiful girl”.

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