This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/world/europe/uk-westminster-parliament-shooting.html
The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| U.K. Parliament Attacker Is Shot; Panic on Westminster Bridge | U.K. Parliament Attacker Is Shot; Panic on Westminster Bridge |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — London was thrown into chaos and confusion on Wednesday, with Britain’s Parliament placed on lockdown and the prime minister evacuated, as security officers investigated “a terrorist incident” that left one woman dead and several other people injured. | |
| Throughout a confusing afternoon, ambulances, emergency vehicles and heavily armed security officers thronged the area outside Parliament, as one of the busiest sections of London was cordoned off and evacuated. Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed into a vehicle and spirited back to her office, where her aides reported that she was safe. | |
| Meanwhile, the police were still trying to make sense of an afternoon attack that apparently occurred in two stages. The driver of a large vehicle mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, which leads to Parliament, killing one woman and injuring at least 10 other people. Around the same time, a man stabbed a police officer outside the gates of Parliament and was then shot by police officers. It was not immediately clear if the motorist and the knife attacker were the same man. | |
| The attack came on the anniversary of suicide bombings in Brussels that killed 32 people, along with three bombers. The violence raised fears that London, which has been largely spared as a target of recent terrorist attacks, has now joined cities like Paris, Brussels and Berlin as targets of mass violence. | |
| “A full counterterrorism investigation is underway,” Cmdr. B. J. Harrington of the Metropolitan Police said at a brief news conference, at which he pleaded with members of the public to stay away from a broad section of central London, to report any suspicious activity and to share any images or video of the violence. | “A full counterterrorism investigation is underway,” Cmdr. B. J. Harrington of the Metropolitan Police said at a brief news conference, at which he pleaded with members of the public to stay away from a broad section of central London, to report any suspicious activity and to share any images or video of the violence. |
| Commander Harrington said that the police knew of “a number of casualties, including police officers,” but that he could not confirm a precise figure. He also said that the acting police commissioner, Craig Mackey, was at the scene of the attack and was not injured, but was “being treated as a significant witness.” | |
| Among the people injured were a group of visiting French students and a woman who fell or plunged into the River Thames. | |
| Throughout the afternoon, astonished lawmakers inside the House of Commons, some of whom had ducked for cover, were told to stay in place as officers searched the premises, office by office. | Throughout the afternoon, astonished lawmakers inside the House of Commons, some of whom had ducked for cover, were told to stay in place as officers searched the premises, office by office. |
| “At the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension, and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we’ve received advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures,” David Lidington, the leader of the House of Commons, or lower house of Parliament, told lawmakers in remarks broadcast live on the BBC. | “At the moment, the very clear advice from the police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension, and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we’ve received advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures,” David Lidington, the leader of the House of Commons, or lower house of Parliament, told lawmakers in remarks broadcast live on the BBC. |
| Olly Grender, a member of the House of Lords, said that lawmakers were staying put. “We were in a meeting, I heard shouting through the window,” she said, adding that a colleague then came in to tell them that a serious incident had taken place. | Olly Grender, a member of the House of Lords, said that lawmakers were staying put. “We were in a meeting, I heard shouting through the window,” she said, adding that a colleague then came in to tell them that a serious incident had taken place. |
| The police said officers had been summoned to the bridge around 2:40 p.m. because of reports of “a firearms incident.” Witnesses said they had heard gunfire near Portcullis House, an office building for lawmakers and members of their staff. | The police said officers had been summoned to the bridge around 2:40 p.m. because of reports of “a firearms incident.” Witnesses said they had heard gunfire near Portcullis House, an office building for lawmakers and members of their staff. |
| Jayne Wilkinson, 59, from Birmingham, England, was near the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square with her partner, David Turner, 56, when they saw people suddenly running from Parliament. | Jayne Wilkinson, 59, from Birmingham, England, was near the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square with her partner, David Turner, 56, when they saw people suddenly running from Parliament. |
| The couple said they had seen a middle-aged man holding a knife. He ignored warnings from the police, running though the gates into the compound of Parliament, she said. | The couple said they had seen a middle-aged man holding a knife. He ignored warnings from the police, running though the gates into the compound of Parliament, she said. |
| “They were shouting to warn him,” Ms. Wilkinson said. Soon after, she and her partner heard three gunshots and saw the man on the ground. | “They were shouting to warn him,” Ms. Wilkinson said. Soon after, she and her partner heard three gunshots and saw the man on the ground. |
| Three construction workers who were inside the grounds of Westminster Palace said they heard shots fired in rapid succession before they were escorted off the premises. “It was bang-bang-bang,” one of them said. | Three construction workers who were inside the grounds of Westminster Palace said they heard shots fired in rapid succession before they were escorted off the premises. “It was bang-bang-bang,” one of them said. |
| Reuben Saunders, an American student at Cambridge University who was visiting Parliament, said he was on his way out of the building when he saw a police officer being attacked by the assailant. | Reuben Saunders, an American student at Cambridge University who was visiting Parliament, said he was on his way out of the building when he saw a police officer being attacked by the assailant. |
| “He was at the gate, I heard screaming,” Mr. Saunders said, adding that the assailant had two knives or similar weapons. “I saw the man on the ground being repeatedly stabbed, or pummeled,” | “He was at the gate, I heard screaming,” Mr. Saunders said, adding that the assailant had two knives or similar weapons. “I saw the man on the ground being repeatedly stabbed, or pummeled,” |
| “There was another policeman standing by,” he added. “I thought he should have shot, but maybe he was unarmed.” | “There was another policeman standing by,” he added. “I thought he should have shot, but maybe he was unarmed.” |
| Mr. Saunders said that two or three other police officers arrived and, at that point, he retreated. “There were two or three gunshots,” he said. | Mr. Saunders said that two or three other police officers arrived and, at that point, he retreated. “There were two or three gunshots,” he said. |
| Corinne Desray, a teacher who was outside Parliament with 39 teenage students on a three-day school trip from northern France, said they heard three shots. “My colleague saw bodies lying on the floor and someone said a policeman has been knived,” she said. “I told the kids to leave quickly. We’re heading back to the bus.” | Corinne Desray, a teacher who was outside Parliament with 39 teenage students on a three-day school trip from northern France, said they heard three shots. “My colleague saw bodies lying on the floor and someone said a policeman has been knived,” she said. “I told the kids to leave quickly. We’re heading back to the bus.” |
| Kirsten Hurrell, 70, who owns a newsstand opposite the clock tower known as Big Ben, said she saw a car swerve across a bicycle lane and into a fence around Parliament. She saw a body lying on the ground and called emergency services. “At first I thought it was an accident but then I was told the car had already mowed down quite a number of people on Westminster Bridge,” she said, adding: “Now that it is a terrorist incident, it is a bit more daunting.” | Kirsten Hurrell, 70, who owns a newsstand opposite the clock tower known as Big Ben, said she saw a car swerve across a bicycle lane and into a fence around Parliament. She saw a body lying on the ground and called emergency services. “At first I thought it was an accident but then I was told the car had already mowed down quite a number of people on Westminster Bridge,” she said, adding: “Now that it is a terrorist incident, it is a bit more daunting.” |
| Robert Vaudry, 52, a fund manager from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, said he emerged from the Westminster subway station around 2:40 p.m. for a meeting with a lawmaker when he realized that something was amiss. | Robert Vaudry, 52, a fund manager from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, said he emerged from the Westminster subway station around 2:40 p.m. for a meeting with a lawmaker when he realized that something was amiss. |
| “I came out of the Tube and there were two armed policemen,” he said in an interview. “One grabbed my arm, pushed me to the left and said, ‘Get out of here,’ ” he said. “They were shouting at everyone to get away.” | “I came out of the Tube and there were two armed policemen,” he said in an interview. “One grabbed my arm, pushed me to the left and said, ‘Get out of here,’ ” he said. “They were shouting at everyone to get away.” |
| As he spoke, police officers were cordoning off the area. One officer shouted, “We need everyone to move back past Downing Street.” | As he spoke, police officers were cordoning off the area. One officer shouted, “We need everyone to move back past Downing Street.” |
| Christopher Hope, a journalist for The Daily Telegraph, reported at 2:41 p.m. that he had heard shots fired outside Parliament. | Christopher Hope, a journalist for The Daily Telegraph, reported at 2:41 p.m. that he had heard shots fired outside Parliament. |
| Kevin Schofield, a journalist at the political website Politics Home, reported that a police officer had been injured, and that he had seen an assailant carrying a knife or a gun. | Kevin Schofield, a journalist at the political website Politics Home, reported that a police officer had been injured, and that he had seen an assailant carrying a knife or a gun. |
| Radoslaw Sikorski, a former foreign minister of Poland who was in the area, was in a taxi on Westminster Bridge when the pedestrians were hit by the other vehicle. | Radoslaw Sikorski, a former foreign minister of Poland who was in the area, was in a taxi on Westminster Bridge when the pedestrians were hit by the other vehicle. |
| “I didn’t see the impact, I heard it, it sounded like a car hitting a sheet of metal,” he said. “I saw these people lying on the tarmac, on the pavement. I saw five people down, one unconscious and one bleeding heavily from his head. He was not moving. The taxi driver rang the emergency services, and people rushed to help.” | “I didn’t see the impact, I heard it, it sounded like a car hitting a sheet of metal,” he said. “I saw these people lying on the tarmac, on the pavement. I saw five people down, one unconscious and one bleeding heavily from his head. He was not moving. The taxi driver rang the emergency services, and people rushed to help.” |
| Mr. Sikorski said he did not see the car or the driver that crashed near Parliament. | Mr. Sikorski said he did not see the car or the driver that crashed near Parliament. |
| Britain has not suffered a large-scale terrorist attack since July 7, 2005, when bomb attacks on subway trains and on a bus killed more than 50 people. Political violence is relatively rare in Britain, where gun ownership is seriously restricted. | Britain has not suffered a large-scale terrorist attack since July 7, 2005, when bomb attacks on subway trains and on a bus killed more than 50 people. Political violence is relatively rare in Britain, where gun ownership is seriously restricted. |
| In 1979, a lawmaker was assassinated near the Parliament building. Airey Neave, a Conservative Party member, was killed when his car was blown up. | In 1979, a lawmaker was assassinated near the Parliament building. Airey Neave, a Conservative Party member, was killed when his car was blown up. |
| President Trump was briefed on the shooting, according to the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer. | President Trump was briefed on the shooting, according to the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer. |
| “We are closely following the concerning situation outside the U.K. Parliament,” the State Department’s acting spokesman, Mark C. Toner. “Our hearts go out to those affected. We stand ready to assist in any way the U.K. authorities would find helpful. The safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is one of our highest priorities. Our Embassy in London is monitoring the situation closely.” |