A 14-year-old boy is dead and several others are injured after a man went on the rampage Tuesday with… a sword.
According to the Metropolitan Police, officers first responded to reports shortly before 7:00 a.m. “of a vehicle being driven into a house” and “people had been stabbed” in the London neighborhood of Hainault. What they found at the scene was horrific. Five people were injured in a brutal stabbing attack — three members of the public and two police officers. And sadly, one of them — a 14-year-old boy — died “shortly after” being taken to the hospital for treatment.
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Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said in a statement following the horrifying incident:
“The child’s family are being supported by specially trained officers. Everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time. The events of this morning are truly horrific and I cannot begin to imagine how all those affected must be feeling. My thoughts are with the injured, their families and the wider community as we all begin to come to terms with what has happened.”
Heartbreaking. That poor young boy. As for the other victims? Two members of the public are still in the hospital. However, Bell revealed that “their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.” He also mentioned the two officers need surgery now as they suffered “significant injuries” — though those are “not life-threatening.”
Meanwhile, a suspect was apprehended. Per Bell, a 36-year-old man was tasered and arrested 22 minutes after the call to the police. A video circulating online showed a man in a yellow sweatshirt walking around with a large sword in hand on what appeared to be a residential street. In other videos he could be seen interacting with police before his arrest. See (below):
Whoa. What an incredibly scary situation. Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said the unidentified suspect was arrested “on suspicion of murder” and is currently in the hospital since he suffered injuries when his van crashed into the building. At this time, Bell noted they are “not looking for more suspects” in the devastating incident:
“I want to reiterate that at present we do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community, we are not looking for more suspects and this incident does not appear to be terror-related… I know the families of those involved, the community and many across London will want to know why this terrible incident happened. We are committed to providing those answers when we can and I would ask for patience while this important work is carried out.”
Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the 14-year-old boy. We also wish a speedy recovery for the four others injured in the attack. Reactions? Let us know in the comments.
[Image via Miramax Films/YouTube]