'It's kids killing kids': Family of Kory McCrimmon demand action to tackle 'vicious cycle of violence'

The aunt of a teenage boy stabbed to death in a Glasgow park has called for urgent action to break the “vicious circle” of knife crime in Scotland.

Kory McCrimmon, 16, was killed in Greenfield Park in May 2024. A boy, who was 13 at the time of the attack, was later sentenced to five years’ detention.

His aunt, Jackie McTaggart, said the family are still “in limbo” and have not heard from the First Minister since a meeting in July to discuss the sale of knives and the impact of social media.

She told STV News: “We feel as though it’s like you’re out of sight, out of mind. Unless we are out there shouting, bawling and kicking up a fuss, you are just forgotten about. That is what it feels like.

“It’s just the same old spin – ‘spin them what you think they want to hear and then we’ll get out of this some way.’ Well, we’re still here and we’re not going away. We’ll be at Holyrood with hundreds of people next, if that’s what it takes for them to listen to us again, to actually remember that we’re still here.”

The Scottish Government says it is concerned about the role of social media and the sharing of violent content.

‘Why are they selling these killer knives?’

Jackie, 58, criticised the easy availability of weapons online.

“Why are they selling these big giant killer knives online and kids can get them like that? That’s not on. That was one point. We wanted to see what they were going to do about that and about the social media.”

Jackie described Kory as “hilarious and cheeky” and said the family are still struggling to come to terms with his death.

“People aren’t looking at Kory as the boy that we knew, as the son and the brother, his sisters and his brother and his mum and his dad knew him. They’ve all lost a special child and they’ve had to pick themselves up, try and move their lives on. They can’t even go in his bedroom because it’s so raw.

“Everybody else has put him away. We can’t put him away. It definitely broke his family. It’s so painful watching them on a daily basis.”

From left to right: Kory McCrimmon, Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy. STV News

She told how relatives had been sent distressing videos of the attack filmed by bystanders.

“Kory’s mother saw things she never should have seen as his mother. Loads of them videoing it. The woman or man that lived across the road, they’ve videoed it.

“It’s a sad reflection of society that if somebody is in trouble, we immediately get phones out, we don’t try and intervene and help. It’s not right.”

‘Kids are killing kids’

Jackie believes that social media has worsened the culture of violence among young people.

“They’re all running about with knives thinking that it’s something that they need to do, because they’re either scared or they think they’re the bigger person – and that people will be scared of them. That’s not a way to be living. That’s not what we want to be teaching our kids.

“They think they can say whatever they want. They can attack you and they don’t realise the consequences. They don’t realise that just your words and your actions are actually hurting people and causing things to happen. Whether that is what you intended or not, that’s where it ends up.

“It’s easy to go from that to somebody’s not here anymore. For what? Nothing. That is the scary part. They’re kids. That’s even scarier. Kids are killing kids.

“It’s just a vicious circle that we need to get a handle on.”

Jackie said she was horrified to learn that the boy who killed Kory was only 13.

“He’s got to live with that for the rest of his life. Both families devastated and destroyed because you’ve done something heinous.”

Kory's memorial at Greenfield Park — Kory’s memorial at Greenfield Park STV News

‘It’s way beyond bullying’

MP Joani Reid says she has been sent alarming footage of violent incidents.

“I’ve seen videos of boys chasing one another, forcing them to say things to the camera at knifepoint, with people laughing in the background. It’s way beyond bullying – it’s assault.

“At the other end, you see the glamourisation of knives, young boys posing with them, sometimes wearing balaclavas, sometimes not. Parents have taken screenshots because they know the boys; they go to school with their children.”

Reid called for tougher action on tech companies.

“We absolutely have to hold social media companies to account. This material should be taken down immediately and there should be consequences if it isn’t.”

She also warned of the rise of so-called “zombie knives” being sold online – and that parents in her constituency remain deeply worried.

“It’s illegal but it’s a real problem. Knife retailers should need a licence and have robust age verification.

“Things may have calmed down politically, but not locally. Parents are terrified. Some are keeping their kids home from school because they fear for their safety.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland confirmed the launch of Operation Stardrop, a new national campaign to tackle knife crime.

“We’re working in partnership right across the country to make sure that a national framework is delivered effectively and locally, and is bespoke to the communities that we see right across Scotland.”

While youth violence remains a concern, Sutherland stressed that the large majority of young people are not involved in crime.

“The large majority of young people will not carry weapons and will not become involved in violence,” he said. “Scotland remains a very safe place to live and education settings are safe places to be. But 200 weapons seized from young people is 200 too many.”

Police are also working with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and local authorities to understand the influence of social media.

“We’re seeing instances where groups of young people call one another out online and that leads to conflict on the street. But overall, violence among young people is actually dropping and has remained steady.

“It’s important that we don’t overreact but that we continue learning about how social media and post-pandemic life are shaping this behaviour.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are concerned about the role of social media, particularly the filming and sharing of harmful, violent content online, and the role of online platforms who should take action to remove this type of content immediately. This is one of the concerns young people and their families affected by violence raised with the First Minister and the justice secretary when they met with them in January.

“We launched the ‘Quit fighting For Likes’ campaign last September, along with educational resources, to engage young people to explore and discuss the impact of filming, sharing and liking harmful material online. This was repeated in April this year. Since 2020, we have invested over £400,000 to support young people to navigate online spaces and use screen time in a safe way.”

For Kory’s family, the grief endures – but they hope his death will spark real change and stop other families from suffering the same pain.

Jackie said: “Kory would have walked a million miles for you. He was such a lovely wee boy. But he was also a young adult who was finding his own way in the world. Kory got lost in a whole lot.

“This family’s still hurting. Kory’s still dead. Kids are still getting maimed. And nobody wants to take responsibility for it. That’s the saddest thing. We just have to pick up the pieces.”

If you don’t feel comfortable reporting it to the Police, Victim Support Scotland can provide essential support, including financial aid if you have no other funds available.
You can call its helpline 0800 160 1985 or visit its website for a free, confidential chat: victimsupport.scot.