Heartfelt tributes are pouring in for a 13-year-old British boy who was tragically stabbed to death in Portugal on Tuesday in what authorities are treating as a suspected murder-suicide. The youngster has been named locally and in moving community messages as Alfie Hallett, though he has yet to be named officially by Portuguese police, who refer to him only as a minor in their statements.

His basketball team shared a poignant tribute late Tuesday, posting a black-ribbon image of the teen and noting how strongly he performed in his game on Saturday. Regional basketball groups have also expressed profound sorrow over the devastating incident which claimed Alfie’s young life in the small Portuguese village of Casais near Tomar, where he and his British mother had settled, while leaving her hospitalised with severe injuries.

The 43-year-old man believed to be responsible, who also died at the scene, has been identified in local reports as Gonçalo Carvalho. A Portuguese national previously convicted of murder, Carvalho spent nearly 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing a man 35 times in a park before his early release on good behaviour.

Neighbours described how Alfie’s mother had filed multiple complaints against her ex-partner, whom they portrayed as obsessively controlling—often seen parked in his car outside the home she shared with her son in Casais, about 90 minutes northeast of Lisbon. Despite their separation, the couple were spotted together shopping locally as recently as last week, leading some to believe a tentative peace had been reached, though the underlying tension remained.

Investigators say that Carvalho, a shop worker, attacked the mother before stabbing Alfie multiple times. He then inflicted fatal wounds on himself with the same knife. He reportedly barricaded the property and triggered a deliberate gas explosion as officers arrived around midday Tuesday, injuring one responder.

The mother, who had been beaten and bound at the hands and feet, managed to escape her restraints and alert neighbours for help before being rushed to the hospital. Jaime Lopes, a neighbour who aided the injured mother, recalled the harrowing sight: “She was very scared, very badly beaten on her face. It seemed to me that even her teeth were broken. She had a lot of blood on her hands and plastic ties around them and on her ankles.”

He added that locals often heard arguments at the property, noting, “The only thing we thought was ‘one of these days something is going to happen’ because the suspect is not a good guy.” The basketball arm of Tomar club Sport Club Operário Cem Soldos (SCOCS) posted a heartbreaking message: “SCOCS BASKETBALL has just become poorer today!!! Our athlete Alfie passed away today at the age of 13.

“He played his last game on Saturday, played so well that it seemed like he knew it was his last game but far from imagining it. We want to tell you how much we love you and that you will always be in our hearts. Rest in peace.”

Coach Ana Bengala was cited in reports stating that the sports community was deeply shaken by the loss of the Sub-14 athlete, a victim of an act of violence deemed utterly incomprehensible.

She described Alfie as a cherished member of the sports family who left an indelible mark on all who interacted with him. The Santarem Basketball Association and opponents Chamusca Basket Clube also joined the mourning.

Chamusca Basket Clube, whom Alfie faced in his final game, shared: “With deep pain we express our most condolences over the death of the little boy Alfie Hallett who loved playing basketball.

At this moment of great sadness, we express our solidarity with the family, friends and all those who share this irreparable loss. The match on Saturday here remains in our memories.” Online, the sentiment was echoed by many, including Patricia Oliveira and Olga Neves, who prayed for his mother’s strength.

In their official statement, Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria confirmed that the family had been flagged for domestic violence in 2022 and 2023. They noted that both the alleged assailant and the minor had multiple stab wounds and, despite vital signs still being detected upon arrival, both were declared dead at the scene moments later.

Local parish leader Luis Freire noted that there had been a number of violent episodes between the couple and that the GNR police force was aware of the history.

Stunned resident Anabela Real Rodrigues summed up the community’s frustration, asking: “There were complaints about domestic violence. Did a tragedy have to occur? At least the person responsible won’t be able to kill anyone else now.”