A man who was stabbed to death on the dancefloor of a nightclub on Boxing Day has been named as 23-year-old Cody Fisher.
Cody was on a night out at Crane in Digbeth, Birmingham with friends on Boxing Day when the brutal attack took place, just before 11.45pm.
West Midlands Police have launched a murder investigation and on Tuesday evening named the young man who died as Cody Fisher.
A statement from the family said: "They have broken our hearts; I have lost my best friend. My family and I are asking for privacy and respectfulness at this heart-breaking time."
No arrests have been made at this stage.
Emergency calls were made with police and ambulance teams rushing to the scene but Cody was pronounced dead just after midnight.
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Detectives are viewing CCTV from the nightclub and are urging anyone who was in the area at the time to get in touch.
A witness who wished to remain anonymous said he was at Crane on Boxing Day evening when the attack took place, told the Mirror that he had witnessed Cody in a pool of his own blood as people desperately tried to save his life.
"Something no one should ever have to see," he said.
"My heart aches for Cody and his family, he should be here today, but basic safety protocols are never carried out in these clubs.
"Worthless individuals who carry weapons can get in just as easy as someone like me, who wouldn’t even ever consider taking a weapon anywhere."
Zarius said he had been to similar nightclubs in cities across the UK and "not once" had he come across a metal detector.
Friends have paid tribute to Cody on social media and expressed their outrage over the crime, with one Twitter user having posted saying: "Cody!!!! My f****** lil bro!!! The purest soul.
"Gutted," he added, with an angry emoji and a broken-hearted emoji.
Another wrote: "Who goes on a night out with a knife? Don’t get these people that think they’re hard but carry a knife with them everywhere they go…"
And another shared a broken-hearted emoji with the message: "Wow that’s so devastating!! RIP Cody."
Many more social media users commented on the security in the club, asking how Cody's killer may have gotten a knife into the venue.
"How first of all does he pass security with a knife in a nightclub ?
"That’s the real question," one person asked.
The Twitter account of football club Walsall FC Academy, which caters for youth football players, also shared their "devastation" over the death of one of their "former scholars".
"We are devastated to hear this awful news," the account tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.
"Our thoughts are with his family & friends at this difficult time."
Cody was a former Walsall FC academy star but had switched clubs to play defence for Bromsgrove Sporting FC.
Non-league football club Bromsgrove Sporting has paid tribute to their former player, saying in a tweet: “All of us at Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cody Fisher.
“Cody was a friend to many at the club and we send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Det Insp Michelle Thurgood of West Midlands Police, leading the investigation, said: “This was a young man enjoying himself with friends on a Boxing Day night out and our thoughts are with his friends and family today.
“We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time.
"While we’ve spoken to a number of them already, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who witnessed or even filmed what happened.
“We believe that the victim was approached by a group of people, and was then stabbed, so we’re working hard to identify all of those involved.”
The venue was hosting an event featuring Italian DJ Marco Carola and British artists Steve Lawler and Mason Maynard on the night in question.
Video from inside the club taken before the stabbing and shared on The Crane's Instagram page shows crowds of people enjoying the music amid flashing lights.
The Crane issued a statement via Instagram, saying: “We are deeply shocked and saddened that a man lost his life last night as our Boxing Day event came to a close. Our thoughts are with the victim, and his family and friends.”
They have cancelled an event they had been due to hold on New Year’s Eve.
Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch via Live Chat, quoting log 3792 of 26 December.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
