Police today widened their search area as they continue to investigate the “fatal stabbing” of a man in Cumbernauld.
Cops rushed to the scene late on Monday afternoon following reports that a man had been seriously injured.
A 27-year-old was pronounced dead a short time later and a 15-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with his death.
The dead man has been named locally as James Ross, also known as Chucky.
A vast area around Larch Court at Abronhill Shopping Centre was cordoned off with police tape as forensic officers in white suits began collecting vital evidence last night.
Shops at the centre remained closed today and this morning, officers could be seen cordoning off a lane that runs behind Larch Road from the shopping centre towards an underpass leading towards Spruce Road and Rowan Road.
Uniformed police officers were stationed at the underpass and at the lane nearest to the shopping centre.
Residents living nearby were shocked to hear of the incident.
An elderly man living in Larch Court only noticed the police activity this morning.
He told Lanarkshire Live: “I had no idea what was going on I just saw so many police motors and realised that something serious must have happened.”
Another man living near the centre added: “I woke up this morning to see all these police in the street, but didn’t know what had happened until now.
"No one would say why they were there.”
Staff at a sheltered housing complex near the shopping centre also only became aware of the incident due to heightened police activity.
One woman told us: “There were loads of cars going past last night but we didn’t know what had happened. We didn’t hear anything.”
An unconfirmed report on a community Facebook page says the incident began inside the shopping centre
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We were made aware of a 27-year-old man who suffered a serious injury in a disturbance outside the Abronhill Shopping Centre on Pine Road in Cumbernauld around 4.40pm on Monday, February 14.
“He was pronounced dead a short time later at a property on Larch Court.
“A 15-year-old male youth has been arrested in connection with the incident and enquiries remain ongoing."
Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact police on 101.
Information can be left anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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