An American woman has been killed and five people injured after a man with a knife attacked people in Russell Square, central London. The attack happened at about 10.30pm on Wednesday, near the British Museum.
The victims
- A woman from the US, believed to be in her 60s, died at the scene. She has not been identified. Two other women and three men were being treated for their injuries. They were identified by police as from Britain, Australia, the US and Israel.
- Two people remain in hospital, while three have been discharged.
The suspect
- A 19-year-old Norwegian-Somali man was arrested at the scene after being Tasered by a police officer. He is in police custody, where investigators have spoken to him. Police confirmed on Thursday morning that he has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
- Norway’s national criminal investigation service NCIS confirmed on its website that the suspected attacker was a 19-year-old Norwegian citizen registered as having emigrated from Norway in 2002. It added:
“NCIS will assist the British police in the normal manner with information and any requests they might have in their investigation. This is a British investigation and it is the British police who decide how they want to proceed with the case and what information they need from the Norwegian police.”
- The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, Mark Rowley, said the motive for the attack was not clear. The force initially suggested that terrorism was a possible line of inquiry, but has since dropped specific mention of that as a motivation. On Wednesday evening, Rowley said:
Early indications suggest mental health is a significant factor in this case and that is one major line of inquiry. But of course at this stage we should keep an open mind regarding motive, and consequently terrorism as a motivation remains but one line of inquiry for us to explore.
- In an update on Thursday morning, that was changed to:
Early indications suggest that mental health was a factor in this horrific attack. However, we are keeping an open mind regarding the motive.
- In a further update shortly before midday on Thursday, the police confirmed terrorism was not a motive in the attack, and said the man’s nationality was not a factor. They reiterated that mental health issues remain the primary focus of the investigation.
The attack
- Scotland Yard said police received the first call just after 10.30pm, reporting a man armed with a knife assaulting people at Russell Square. They added that numerous other calls were made by members of the public in the following 30 minutes, all reporting a man attacking people with a knife between Russell Square, Montague Street, Bloomsbury Square and Great Russell Street.
- Armed officers attended the scene within five minutes of receiving the first call, police said.
- Homicide officers are leading the investigation, supported by counter-terrorism officers.
- Witnesses described a man wearing motorbike clothing and a helmet walking up and down the street where the attack took place. Several said they also saw a body on the ground.
- Police confirmed on Thursday that the attacker launched a “spontaneous” attack that appears ot have targeted random vicitms.
The aftermath
- There will be an increased police presence, including armed officers, on the streets of London on Thursday, authorities said. The attack came on the day the Met unveiled additional armed officers.
- The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, urged Londoners to “remain calm and vigilant”.
- In an update on Thursday morning, Rowley said: “As a precautionary measure, Londoners will wake up this morning to notice an increased presence on the streets of officers, including armed officers. We would urge the public to remain calm, alert and vigilant.”
- The Met commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, vowed to protect the capital:
A normal night out in our busy capital has ended in horrific circumstances. My thoughts are with the family of the woman who was murdered and those who were injured. I am proud that our specialist firearms officers were on the scene in six minutes and, using only a Taser, detained the subject. That demonstrates our commitment to use force in a professional and proportionate way. Their swift response undoubtedly helped to prevent more people from getting injured.
