A teenager at the centre of a murder investigation in Rochdale has been named locally as Callum Riley. An investigation was launched following his death on Saturday morning (September 17).
He was found badly hurt in the garden of a property on Atholl Drive in Heywood, the Manchester Evening News understands. Mr Riley sadly died a short time later. It is understood he was 17.
Mr Riley has not yet been formally identified, Greater Manchester Police said. A post mortem is due to take place.
Mr Riley was known affectionately as 'Russell' or 'Russel' to pals due to his similar appearance as a child to a character in a film. Tributes have been paid by hundreds of people on Facebook.
People at the scene - including a man who said he found Mr Riley hurt and performed CPR - confirmed his name. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the man, who asked not to be named himself, said he found Mr Riley in the garden of a house.
"I heard a load of screaming at 4.30am," he said. "We heard a scream for help and looked outside the bedroom window, but we couldn't see anything.
"Half an hour later we heard a scream for help again. We just heard screaming, all we could hear was 'help, help'.
"It wasn't until when it was light out, when someone knocked on and said there was a man in a garden. I went in the garden and I called police and they asked me to perform CPR on him. It's a sad thing, a young lad."
A 19-year-old man and 20-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of murder. The woman was in custody being quizzed by detectives on Saturday afternoon. The man was in hospital on Saturday morning being 'treated for a wound', GMP said.
Detectives, who are appealing for information, said that before Mr Riley was found seriously hurt another man is believed to have asked for help from the occupants of a property a short distance away.
Tributes have poured in for Mr Riley on social media. Hundreds of people left heart emojis and 'RIP' messages under a picture of him posted to Facebook on Friday night.
A major police presence remained on Atholl Drive and surrounding roads on Saturday afternoon.. Numerous police vehicles, forensics teams and plain-clothes officers were pictured at the scene.
GMP said enquiries were 'ongoing' and have appealed to anyone with information to come forward. The force said there is not believed to be a wider threat to the community.
Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: "Our investigation is in the early stages and we are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death of this man and ensure all of his loved ones are informed.
"Two suspects have been arrested - one is in police custody for questioning whilst the other is receiving hospital treatment for a wound. That being said, our enquiries are very much ongoing and anyone with information should contact us.
"We are aware of the impact this news will have on the community but do not believe there to be a risk of harm to members of the public. Officers from the Rochdale district will be providing a visible presence in the coming days for reassurance."
Anyone with information should contact GMP via Public Portal (mipp.police.uk) or 0161 856 3400 quoting 723 17/09/22. Information can also be shared via the independent charity - Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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