A man has been arrested after three people have died and three were seriously injured following a mass stabbing at a park in Reading, Thames Valley Police have confirmed.
Police confirmed they had taken a 25-year-old into custody, he was arrested at the scene of the incident officers added the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and they are not looking for anyone else after the attack on Saturday.
Earlier security sources told various media outlets the 25-year-old man arrested at the scene is thought to be Libyan, Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford said he had been told the suspect had previously been in prison in the UK but for a relatively minor offence, not a terrorism offence.
UNN awaits official confirmation of the alleged attacker’s ethnicity and citizenship status, many on social media have suggested he may have entered the nation illegally explaining why the Home Secretary Priti Patel was one of the first to mention the attack but no official confirmation had been given.
We have launched a murder investigation following the deaths of three people in Reading yesterday after an incident in Forbury Gardens.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
More details: https://t.co/U9GDMkyTP7 pic.twitter.com/Rfb0Iwz2Pk
— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) June 21, 2020
Sky News had previously reported the attack may have been terror-related however, Thames Valley Police later dismissed this in their statement.
The attack took place at around 7pm in Forbury Gardens, and at least two of the injured are being treated in the emergency department of the Royal Berkshire Hospital as a result of the knife wounds, a spokeswoman said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.”
My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.
— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) June 20, 2020
Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement: “This evening we saw a senseless attack on people simply enjoying a Saturday evening with family and friends.
“My heart, prayers and thoughts are with all of those affected and to the people of Reading who will be deeply shocked and concerned by this terrible incident.
“I am in contact with the police and will ensure they have all the support they need. I would like to thank Thames Valley Police and the emergency services for their response.”
My full statement on the incident in Reading, following the latest update from @ThamesVP https://t.co/K9xMHnkZSt pic.twitter.com/y4olaEgMfr
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) June 21, 2020
A source told the Sunday Mirror: “A man pulled a knife and started attacking people at random in Reading, near the Crown Court.
“It is thought there was one attacker.
“It appeared the attack was stopped when a lone sergeant, who responded when the alarm was raised, ran to the scene, saw the attacker running away with a knife and rugby tackled him to the ground.”
A dozen armed police officers carrying shields were later seen entering a block of flats in Basingstoke Road in Reading at about 23:00 BST, BBC News Home Affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani, who was outside the block of flats, claimed he heard a loud bang at the scene.
It is unknown is the raid is linked to the attack at this stage.
The BBC reported that at around 23:00 BST, more than a dozen armed officers, carrying shields entered the central block and climbed the stairs to the upper floors. At about 00:30 BST there was a loud bang that sounded like it came from inside one of the flats.
Shortly after this, the armed officers left the scene leaving most of the residents in the area very confused as to what was going on.
At 21:42 20/06/2020 Thames Valley Police updated their statement with the following:
Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter, Head of Crime, said: “The Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit has launched a murder investigation following this incident.
“We have made one arrest and at this stage we are not looking for any other people in connection with this incident. There is no intelligence to suggest that there is any further danger to the public, however we urge people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious by calling police.
“This is not currently being treated as a terrorism incident, however officers are keeping an open mind as to the motivation for the incident and are being supported by colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing South East.
“There have been some reports that this incident was linked to the Black Lives Matter protest which took place in Reading earlier this afternoon. I can confirm that this incident is not connected. It occurred around three hours after the protest had concluded.
“We are also aware that the incident was captured on mobile phones and would like to hear from anyone who has video footage. Out of respect for those deceased and injured, along with their loved ones, please do not circulate this footage on social media – this will be incredibly distressing.
“Police cordons continue to be in place and are likely to be for some time as we work to establish the circumstances of what has happened. You will also see an increased police presence in the area as we continue to make enquires.
“I would urge the public to avoid the area at this time and thank the community for their patience. We will let you know as soon as the area is back open.
“The thoughts of everyone at Thames Valley Police are with those who have been affected by this tragic incident and I understand the concern that this will have caused amongst the community. Please be assured that safety of the public is our primary concern and we will do all that we can to investigate this incident robustly and bring those responsible to justice.”
“Anyone with information on what happened in Forbury Gardens should call Thames Valley Police on 101, quoting reference 1159 20/6.”
UPDATE: 11:30 – British police are now officially treating Forbury Gardens attack as a terror incident.
UPDATE: 13:25 – The male suspect arrested at the scene yesterday is Khairi Saadallah, a 25-year-old refugee from Libya, ‘mental health’ is being considered a major factor in the incident, a security source said.
Neil Basu, the head of Counter Terror Police, confirmed officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
“There is no specific intelligence to suggest that anyone attending crowded places is at risk,” he said.
[give_form id=”1772″ show_title=”false” show_goal=”false” show_content=”below” display_style=”modal”]
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
[sibwp_form id=4]
