A man was arrested after police in Nottingham, England responded to three separate incidents of a vehicle being driven into pedestrians in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving three dead and three injured.
Nottinghamshire police declared a major incident in the city Tuesday after being called to a series of incidents where people had been hit by a vehicle. They are treating the incidents as linked and have made an arrest of a 31-year-old man.
While no motive has yet been made public, the Guardian newspaper reports that counter-terror police are assisting the investigation but have not taken it over.
Update 1330: Van-attacks may have been followed up with stabbings
Eyewitnesses have said they witnessed victims being stabbed. While there is still no official indication the motivation for this attack may have been terrorism, a vehicle ramming attack followed up by stabbing is, unfortunately, a well-worn terrorist modus operandi.
Speaking to state broadcaster the BBC, one person who witnessed part of the attack said they saw two people — who are now believed to have died — being stabbed in the street. They said: “I saw him stab the lad first and then the woman. It was repeated stabbing – four or five times. The lad collapsed in the middle of the road.
“The girl stumbled towards a house and didn’t move. The next minute she had disappeared down the side of a house, and that’s where they found her.”
The Telegraph reports an eyewitness who described the knifeman as “a black guy dressed all in black with a hood and rucksack”.
There have been no new updates from the Police.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JUNE 13: Damage to the window is visible on a van (R) parked in an area of Bentinck road and which is potentially connected with a major incident earlier today on June 13, 2023 in Nottingham, England. Nottinghamshire police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of murder after three people were found dead earlier today in areas of Nottingham City Centre. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
This is a developing story and more follows. The original story continues below.
According to a statement from the force, they were first alerted at 0400 Tuesday morning to Ilkeston Road in the city where two people were “found dead in the street”. Following this, they were called to a separate incident a mile away on Milton Street where “a van had attempted to run over three people”. All three people hit on Milton Street were hospitalised.
A police officer stands by a cordon, close to medical equipment strewn across Ilkeston Road in Nottingham, central England, during a ‘major incident’ in which three people have been found dead. UK police on Tuesday locked down the central English city of Nottingham after three people were found dead in a “horrific and tragic incident”. A 31-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder, police said, adding that they were also investigating another incident which they believed was linked, in which a van had attempted to run over three people. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
A police officer stands by a cordon outside on Market Street in Nottingham, central England, during a ‘major incident’ in which three people have been found dead. UK police on Tuesday locked down the central English city of Nottingham after three people were found dead in a “horrific and tragic incident”. A 31-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder, police said, adding that they were also investigating another incident which they believed was linked, in which a van had attempted to run over three people. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
A man was also found dead on Magdala Road, which is two miles north of the other scenes. Milton Street runs alongside Nottingham’s Victoria Centre, the city’s large-city centre shopping precinct.
The Prime Minister thanked the emergency services for their work on what he called a “shocking incident” and remarked that he was “being kept updated on developments”.
Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people. We believe these three incidents are all linked and we have a man in custody.
“This investigation is at its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened. We ask the public to be patient while inquiries continue. At this time, a number of roads in the city will remain closed as this investigation progresses.”
Police officers in Nottingham city centre, as police have put in place multiple road closures in Nottingham as officers deal with an ongoing serious incident. The Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram network said it has suspended all services due to “major police incidents around the city and suburbs”. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2023. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
This story is developing and more follows