A female victim was treated at the scene but pronounced dead shortly after, the Metropolitan Police said.
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A man wielding a knife in a historic London square killed an American woman and injured five people Wednesday in an attack authorities believed was possibly linked to “mental health” issues. The stabbing attack occurred in London’s Russell Square and the 19-year-old was arrested after the incident, authorities said.
The 19-year-old suspect, a Norwegian of Somali origin, was charged with attempted murder.
Commissioner Mark Rowley said, “This was a tragic incident resulting in the death of one woman and five others being injured”. Police have not yet publicly identified him.
Five other people were injured, including Australian, British, Israeli, and USA citizens. None suffered life-threatening injuries.
London was hit by coordinated attacks on July 7, 2005, when four suicide bombers targeted three underground trains and one bus, killing 52 people. An eye witness who saw the events unfold from her hotel window told BBC she saw a black man running down the street.
A 19-year-old Norwegian man was been arrested on suspicion of murder after a U.S. woman, aged in her 60s, died in the attacks at about 10.30pm.
Police said the attack was not linked to terrorism, and that mental health appears to have been a factor.
British officials have been on high alert following the recent string of attacks in neighboring European nations, specifically France, Germany, and Belgium, and an increased police presence has been seen in the capital. A police forensic officer works at the scene in Russell Square, central London, after a knife attack, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016.
Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters the one woman killed in the attack in central London’s Russell Square late on Wednesday was a United States national.
Mr Rowley had earlier said the force was considering terrorism as “one line of inquiry for us to explore”.
The victim, a USA citizen in her 60s, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.
On Thursday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged Londoners to remain calm and vigilant. Even with the additional armed officers, most of London’s 31,000 police officers will not be armed.
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Police arrested the teenager after reports of a stabbing spree in Russell Square, a quiet area close to several popular tourist attractions including the British Museum.
