Alleged London Swordman Arrested After Vehicle-Ram Stabbing

One person has died and four people were injured in East London after a man is alleged to have driven a van into a residential building before drawing a sword and attacking people, including police officers.

UPDATE 1430 — 14 Year Old Boy Has Died

Bad news from East London, where one of the five people reported injured in this morning’s sword attack has died. London Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said at the scene:

It is with great sadness that I confirm one of those injured, a 14-year-old boy, has died. He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died shortly afterwards.

The child’s family are being supported by specially trained officers. Everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time.

Two members of the public and two police officers were injured. Chief Superintendent Bell said the injured officers sustained “significant” but not life-threatening stab wounds while the members of the public remain in hospital.

One important detail: the Guardian newspaper has spoken to an eye witness who said the suspected killer performed some kind of victory ritual after stabbing a “young victim” who may have been the boy who has now died. The paper quoted the witness — who wished not to be named — as saying the alleged swordsman as raising his arms in celebration, as if to say ” yay, yay I’ve done it, sort of proud”.

The original story continues below: 

Five people were taken to hospital, including two police officers, in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a swordsman went on an apparently rampage near Hainault station in East London. While the government had appealed to the public not to speculate and not to share footage on social media, copious video and stills showing a light-skinned male holding a long, curved blade — described in some reports as being a “samurai sword” type — squaring off with police.

Police say they arrested a 36 year old man, and that four people were stabbed. They say there is no indication the incident is terrorism related.

They said in a statement: “a vehicle being driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area… at this time we understand the suspect went on to attack other members of the public and two police officers. We are awaiting an update on the condition of those injured”.

The incident has elicited an unusually high number of remarks from political figures. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families.

“I’d like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene. Such violence has no place on our streets.”