Boy suspected of double stabbing at Brent college arrested after showing ‘distressed’ at mosque | EUROtoday

A 13-year-old suspected of stabbing two kids at a college in London was arrested after being seen appearing “distressed” at a mosque, police have stated, because it was additionally confirmed he was a former pupil.

The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism unit is main the investigation after the 2 boys, aged 12 and 13, had been injured at Kingsbury High School in Brent on Tuesday.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan stated she believed the suspect arrived on the college at round 12.30pm, earlier than coming into a primary ground classroom the place he allegedly sprayed a pupil with a non-noixious substance.

She added: “The suspect has then attacked another pupil, a 13-year-old, in that classroom, stabbing him, and then the suspect left, running down the hallway of the school and the stairs.

“As he was leaving, he then attacks another victim, a 12-year-old, stabbing him before running off and away from the school.”

After a manhunt was launched, she stated, the power acquired a name from a member of the general public involved over a toddler showing “distressed” at a mosque in north west London.

Officers then arrested a 13-year-old, a British nationwide, on suspicion of tried homicide within the neighborhood of the mosque at 4.50pm. He stays in custody as officers attempt to set up the motive for the assault, which isn’t being handled as a terrorist incident at this stage.

The boy had no hyperlink with the mosque and police consider it’s a coincidence that he was there, Det Chf Supt Flanagan stated.

In the replace, she additionally stated the 2 boys stabbed didn’t “thankfully” endure life-threatening accidents, and stay in hospital in a secure situation. The boy sprayed with a substance didn’t endure any damage, she stated, however is being handled as a sufferer within the case.

Police have searched three premises and are interviewing 30 to 40 witnesses to the stabbing as a part of the investigation, she added.

She stated: “At this point we do not believe the suspect to have any particular connection to that mosque, and at this stage, we think that it may have been coincidental that he ended up in that area, and all of those at the mosque have been incredibly supportive of this investigation.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer referred to as the stabbing “an appalling attack” throughout Prime Minister’s Questions.

Schools minister Georgia Gould additionally informed Sky News that the federal government might take a look at bolstering safety in faculties within the wake of the stabbing, however dominated out putting in steel detectors.

The headteacher of the college stated the incident was “a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community”, in a letter to folks and carers.

Alex Thomas stated: “I fully appreciate that this will be very upsetting news to hear and, as you can imagine, this has been a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community.

“The situation is under control, but a live investigation is taking place. We are working closely with the authorities and I will provide further updates as soon as I am able to share confirmed information.”

Simon Theodorou, a mum or dad of a kid on the college, informed The Telegraph that the attacker “managed to get his way in by climbing over a wall”. He additionally claimed one of many victims “pulled the fire alarm to get help”, praising the boy as a “hero”.

Pupils had been spoken to by law enforcement officials in one of many college’s halls for greater than three hours after the standard college day completed on Tuesday – and a few had been seen leaving in tears.

The father of 1 pupil stated kids had been clearly “traumatised by what happened in front of them”.

At Wednesday afternoon’s police briefing, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams stated he understood that the incident had been “hugely distressing” for the area people.

He stated: “It’s hard to imagine the impact on the loved ones of the victims and the officers are providing them with special support. I hope the knowledge this was an extraordinary one-off event which led to the swift arrest of the suspect provides some reassurance.”

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood stated her ideas and prayers had been with the 2 kids stabbed within the “shocking attack”.

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan urged anybody with info to contact the police, including: “There is no honour in staying silent. “This awful violence has absolutely no place in our city,” he stated.