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Reading attack: Police say ‘no indication’ BLM rally linked to stabbing attack that kills 3 | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Three people were killed in a stabbing attack at Forbury Gardens, a park in the southern city of Reading, UK. Police have launched a murder investigation into the incident, which took place several hours after a BLM rally. | |
Police have confirmed three people have been killed, and three more suffered injuries in the attack, which unfolded around 7 pm on Saturday evening local time, shortly after a Black Lives Matter rally wrapped up at the same site. | |
A 25-year-old local man was arrested at the scene and is facing murder charges. While there have been reports in local media, citing sercurity sources, that the incident might be terrorism-related, police said it has not been currently treated as such. | |
“This is not currently being treated as a terrorism incident, however officers are keeping an open mind as to the motivation for the incident," they said. | |
Earlier, multiple ambulances as well as medical helicopters were seen responding to the incident. | |
A graphic video circulating online shows three wounded individuals lying on the grass in the park with multiple police officers and paramedics tending to them. | A graphic video circulating online shows three wounded individuals lying on the grass in the park with multiple police officers and paramedics tending to them. |
The leader of Reading Council, Councillor Jason Brock, described the event as a “serious incident” and urged the public to avoid the town center altogether. | The leader of Reading Council, Councillor Jason Brock, described the event as a “serious incident” and urged the public to avoid the town center altogether. |
Police earlier said that the stabbing was not believed to be linked to the protest, that ended some two hours before the rampage began. | |
"There is no indication that this incident is linked to the Black Lives Matter protest that took place in Reading today," they said. | |
There have been unconfirmed reports that the attacker might be of Lybian origin. A witness at the scene reported that the man first charged at a group of some 10 people with a knife while shouting "some unintelligible words." | |
"He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running," Lawrence Wort said, as cited by British media. | |
Wort said that the man then turned his attention to another group, stabbing one victim in the neck, before attempting to flee the scene as panicked revellers ran for their lives. | |
There have been also reports that what could have potentially turned into a full-blown carnage was stopped by one officer. | |
The Mirror reported, citing sources, that a police officer confronted the knife-wielding attacker as he attempted to leave the scene by “rugby tackling him to the ground.” | |
DETAILS TO FOLLOW | DETAILS TO FOLLOW |