I was only a passing acquaintance of Arsema Dawit, who lived on the floor above me in a very normal London council block at the back of Waterloo station.
Like other teenagers living here, she was polite and smiling whenever we opened the door to the main stairwell for one another. I used to see her as I headed for Parliament at the same time as the kids leave for school. This block of flats was happy in its anonymity.
The mundane nature of our passing acquaintance makes the horrific violence that ended her short life seem all the more brutal.
The estate, once a notorious, hard to-let council area, is now a thriving combination of the white working class, young professionals and aspirant economic migrants.
Yet in its midst, the mind-numbing reality of knife crime and murder is slowly sinking in.
The cry, of course, is going out again to politicians to do something, and it is a challenge that needs to be met head-on.
We have voted through laws, with Labour, Conservative and Liberals all talking about how tough these laws need to be. The reality is the hard talk isn't working.
Especially when we all know that every kitchen in Britain contains knives that are killer weapons when in the wrong hands.
We can increase sentencing for these crimes, but that will not help the innocent victims of these attacks.
We can enforce more screening for knives in schools, but this brutality took place outside school. We can crack down on gangs, but this cold murderer acted alone.
The solution does not only lie in more government bills and legislation. We must change hearts and minds - carrying and using knives has become acceptable to far too many and it is this we must challenge.
We need a campaign to make carrying a knife as intolerable as we have made drink driving. The reality is that only a coward carries a knife and this is the message we must consistently put out.
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We need to impress on the real hard-cases the need for admiration and respect for others by getting them to compete on the sports field.
That's why I'm backing ex- Sports Minister Richard Caborn and the Amateur Boxing Association in their campaign to reintroduce boxing across Britain.
I want boxing throughout my community and in my schools. That will help teenagers channel their aggression into competitive sport, and help them develop self-discipline and respect for their opponents.
Last week I visited a new boxing gym in Harworth, a mining village in my constituency.
Literally under the pit tower, young kids were learning boxing skills. Yet they operate without electricity, water or resources. I promised to change that and I will.
In Manton, another local mining village, I am working with the police to set up a thriving boxing club and find a way to fund it.
Martial arts is another area of keen youth involvement. BMX cycling is a huge success - a sport in which our kids are already world leaders, and traditional sports of football, rugby and athletics should be encouraged. All have a key role to play in turning young people away from violent crime and anti-social behaviour.
In three weeks, I take a team of 16-year-olds to play against Brazil in Rio. These kids were picked up off the streets to form a team and it has taught them self-respect. The entire team is now applying for apprenticeships in the building industry.
Our young people tell me, through the youth advisory panel which I've set up, that self-respect, mutual respect and anti-bullying should be consistent in the education system.
The families of the victims of stabbings and dangerous crimes do not want the sympathy of politicians, but demand immediate action.
It is time for the decisive and effective deployment of resources to help our communities to help themselves.
Gordon, it is time to take the lead.
