One woman was killed and five other people were injured in a knife attack in central London’s Russell Square, London Metropolitan Police said.
Authorities say Londoners should expect to wake up to a heavier police presence in light of the stabbing spree.
“As a precautionary measure tomorrow, Londoners will wake up and in the morning they will notice increased police presence on the streets, including armed officers,” Mark Rowley, the Scotland Yard assistant commissioner, told reporters. “This is there to provide reassurance and safety. We ask the public to remain calm, vigilant and alert.”
A suspect, a 19-year-old man, is in police custody at a hospital, police said.
The woman killed is in her 60s, authorities said. Two other women and three men were injured.
Mental health is a “major factor” in the investigation but terrorism remains a line of inquiry.
Officials briefed on the investigation told CNN earlier that based on early evidence, investigators believe the incident was a terror attack.
“The fact that they’re even mentioning terrorism leads me to believe that some of the witnesses and some of the victims may have said that this guy may have made some statements while he was carrying out the attack,” former FBI agent Bobby Chacon said.
-BBC
-Agencies
