One woman is dead and at least five other people are injured after a knife-wielding man attacked bystanders in Central London, according police.
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Russell Square resident Constantine Somerville said: “It’s such a safe area and very quiet especially at night – why would somebody commit an attack in such a quiet area?”
A 19-year-old Norwegian national of Somali origin has been arrested on suspicion of murder after armed police responded to the stabbings.
“Early indications suggest mental health is a significant factor in this case and that is one major line of inquiry”, police said in a statement.
A woman died of her injuries.
A woman has been killed, and five others injured, during a knife attack in the London borough of Camden.
He said: “I just knew right away that this is not right”. Two of the victims remain in the hospital.
While British police officers are not routinely armed, those that are carry handguns and semi-automatic weapons, as well as electric stun guns. The judge said the attacker was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the offence but may have been motivated by events in Syria.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation “increasingly points to mental health issues” as lying behind the rampage.
Terror threat levels in the United Kingdom are used by agencies and the police to determine the level of security they should provide to public buildings and figures.
Mr Khan said police were doing an “incredibly hard job” and the safety of Londoners was his “number one priority”.
“We would urge the public to remain calm, alert and vigilant”.
Mr Rowley, the country’s lead counter-terrorism officer, said armed officers arrived within six minutes of the call, adding: ” The man was Tasered and he was detained”.
In the July 7, 2005, terror attacks on London, the most devastating of the four bombs hit the Underground subway line running close to Russell Square.
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In response to the current shock in the aftermath of this latest tragedy, there will be an increased police presence, including armed officers.
