Laura Buchan, Legal Director with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), warned the carrying of knives is blighting communities and destroying young lives.
She was speaking after a teenager stabbed a man to death just months after attacking another young person with a knife.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, murdered John McNab, 22, with a knife outside a block of flats in Edinburgh in September 2025.
The fatal attack came after the teenager seriously assaulted a 16-year-old boy by slashing him on the back in Portobello in March 2025.
He pleaded guilty to both charges at an earlier hearing.
The teenager was given a life sentence with a minimum punishment part of 17 years at the High Court in Dundee on 4 June 2026.
Laura Buchan said: “Within Scotland’s prosecution service, we have seen too many cases where young people carrying knives has led to loss of life.
“Families are left devastated and communities can be left living in fear.
“The murder of John McNab shows the serious and tragic harm caused when someone chooses to carry and use a bladed weapon.
“At just 17, the offender now faces time in custody and a lifelong criminal record because of his deliberate actions.
“That cannot compare to the lasting loss suffered by John’s family, and our thoughts remain with them.
“We hope this conviction sends a clear message to young people. Carrying a knife or other bladed weapon is illegal and can have lifelong consequences.
“It can cause serious and lasting harm - to you, your family, your friends and to others.
“COPFS will continue to do all we can to ensure those responsible for this type of crime are held to account.”