Thursday 4 August 2016

Russell Square stabbings: What we know so far

Russell Square stabbings: What we know so far

9 hours ago

 From the sectionUK

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Following the stabbing at Russell Square in London, this is what we know about the attack, the assailant, the victims and the police.

The attackImage copyrightPAImage captionPolice investigators at the scene in Russell Square, LondonA fatal stabbing occurred in Russell Square, central London, at about 10.30pm on WednesdayA woman was killed and five other people were injuredPolice say armed officers arrived on the scene within six minutes of receiving 999 calls and chased the suspectA Taser (electric stun gun) was discharged at the suspect, but no shots were firedPolice have arrested the suspect on suspicion of murderAssistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said police believed it was a spontaneous attack and that the victims were selected at randomRussell Square is in a popular tourist area with many hotels, close to the British MuseumThe suspectImage copyrightPAImage captionPolice are working to establish the attacker's motiveThe suspect is a 19-year old male Norwegian national of Somali originInvestigation so far does not suggest attacker's Somali background is relevant to his motivation, says Mr RowleyMr Rowley emphasis police have found no evidence of radicalisation that would suggested terrorism was motiveHe says investigation "increasingly points to this tragic incident as having been triggered by mental health issues"He is now in police custody at a south London police station, according to a police statementThe victimsImage copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThere are few details of the victims so farA woman, believed to have been in her 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say she was an American nationalTwo women and three men suffered "various injuries" in the attackTheir nationalities are Australian, American, Israeli and British, according to policePolice says their injuries are not life-threateningTwo remain in hospital, the other three have been discharged, police said earlierThe policeImage copyrightAPImage captionLondoners will notice an increased presence on the streets of officers, says the MetPolice say were at the scene in large numbers within six minutes of receiving reports of the attackOne witness estimated there were about 70-80 police offers at the sceneThe Met's homicide department is leading the investigationCounter-terrorism officers have been supporting the investigationPolice have worked on five strands: interviewing the suspect, speaking with his family, witness accounts, address searches, and full intelligence reviewPolice have searched addresses in north London, will search another in south London, says Mark RowleyThe Met says extra police reinforcements, including armed officers, are patrolling the streets in London on ThursdayFrom Wednesday, numbers of patrolling officers had already been increased

Related TopicsMental health

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