Hainault stabbing: Everything we know as man with sword arrested and five in hospital
A 14-year-old boy was killed and four others were hospitalised on Tuesday morning after a man wielding a sword launched an attack near a north east London tube station, police have said.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 7am to reports that a car had driven into a house and that several people had been stabbed near Hainault station.
The force said the suspect is understood to have gone on to attack other members of the public and two police officers. Four people remain in hospital with injuries believed not to be life-threatening. Both police officers will require surgery, the Metropolitan Police said.
Pictures showed a man a knife as one man spoke of how the suspect was involved in a stand-off with police in an alleyway in the Thurlow Gardens area.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested and police said they were not looking for further suspects.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Hainault tube station stabbing:
How did the incident unfold?
The Metropolitan Police said officers were initially called to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house just before 7am.
The force said there were reports of people being stabbed during the incident and the suspect is understood to have gone on to attack other members of the public and two police officers.
A witness to the incident in Hainault said he heard shrieking at about 7am before witnessing a man jumping over some fences.
Another man spoke of how a suspect was involved in a stand-off with police in an alleyway in the Thurlow Gardens area, before hearing a “huge commotion” and a woman screaming.
The man, who asked not to be named, told the PA news agency he saw a man jumping over fences from his back window and heard someone shout “he’s got a massive knife”.
How did emergency services respond?
The Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade all rushed to the scene on Tuesday morning.
The police arrested a 36-year-old man while five people were rushed to hospital. A 14-year-old boy who was taken to hospital after being stabbed and died a short time after.
“The events of this morning are truly horrific and I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling,” Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell told reporters in Hainault.
“My thoughts are with the injured, their families, and the wider community as we all begin to come to terms with what has happened, and try to understand what has happened here.
“I know that there will be – clearly and understandably – a desire for answers and an explanation. Our investigation is in its very early stages and my officers are working right now to establish the full facts as a priority. We will share what we can when we can with the wider community.”
An LAS spokesperson said that they were called at 6.54am this morning to reports of the incident.
They sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, clinicians in response cars, advanced paramedics and London’s air ambulance.
A spokesperson said: “Working together with our emergency services partners, we treated five people on the scene and took all five to hospital.”
The London Fire Brigade said it was called to assist the incident. A spokesman said: “Firefighters were mobilised to assist police and London Ambulance Service colleagues at an incident near Hainault underground station.
“Crews supported London Ambulance Service crews in the provision of immediate emergency care.”
Was the incident terror-related?
The Met said the incident is not believed to be terror-related.
