They are also looking into the possibility that the killing was part of a gang initiation or a botched robbery.

In the past few weeks, his mother had a heart attack and his young nephew was beaten in a gang initiation.

Blood for life," he adds, invoking the motto of gang initiation.

As of 5 January, the police had not established whether it was a hate crime or part of a gang initiation.

It follows a New York teenager from gang initiation to prison term.

One study indicates that young people are more likely to be hurt in gang initiation than they are by refusing to join.

To this young man, George's killing is almost certainly a gang initiation, "blood in," as they say.

She added that investigators told her it may have been a type of gang initiation.

It could have been a mugger, they said, or a gang initiation.

Rather this was a gang initiation whereby prospective members had to prove themselves by stabbing someone.