An American woman was stabbed to death in London by a man with suspected mental health issues who went on a rampage with a knife; no evidence suggests this was a terror-related attack.
Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley spoke to reporters outside police headquarters in central London, telling reporters that “The woman who was murdered was an American national. Those injured were Australian, American, Israeli, and British.”
Two men and three women were hurt in the attack. Two victims remained in the hospital Thursday and the others had been discharged. The American woman who was killed was in her 60s.
Rowley also said that a Norwegian national of Somali origin had been detained, but there was no evidence that indicated the attack was related to terrorism.
“All the work we have done so far increasingly points to this tragic incident as having been triggered by mental health issues. We believe this was a spontaneous attack and that the victims were selected at random. So far we have found no evidence of radicalization that would suggest that the man in our custody is in any way motivated by terrorism.”
Police received reports of a man attacking people with a knife in Russell Square near the British Museum in Central London at around 10:30 PM local time Wednesday. Authorities arrived and the 19-year-old suspect was tasered and then taken to a hospital where he remained under armed guard. The suspect, who has not been named, is now in custody at a police station in south London; he has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Scotland Yard homicide and major crime team, supported by counter-terrorism officials, is heading the investigation.
