In a case of murder and attempt to murder, British police arrested a man on suspicion of committing these offences. In one case, three individuals were found dead on the street in Nottingham, a city in central England, on Tuesday. Other than that, three other people were injured after a van attempted to run them over.
Detectives noted that counter-terrorism officers were working on the inquiry, although they stated this was usual, and said they kept an open mind about the motive for the connected incidents, which started just after 4 am (07:00 am MUT).
Talking about their operation, Chief Constable Kate Meynell said, “We are keeping an open mind as we investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents and are working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing to establish the facts – as we would normally do in these types of circumstances. We are at the early stages of the investigation and need to determine the motives behind these attacks and will keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say more.”
Two among the three killed were students from the university based in the city. Detectives said they were not seeking for anyone else after a 31-year-old man was detained on suspicion of murder. Police reported that despite searching many residences in the city, no new arrests had been made.
Police were alerted to a report of two persons being stabbed and left motionless on a road in the city centre when the large operation, which resulted in numerous roads throughout Nottingham being barricaded, started. They both aged 19 years old. According to the University of Nottingham, the two students killed were its students.
“We are shocked and devastated by the news and our thoughts are with those affected, their families and friends,” the university tweeted.
Officers were subsequently made aware of a nearby incident where a van driver attempted to run over three individuals, with one man admitted in the hospital with severe injuries and the other two with less serious wounds.
Later, on a road about two miles from the first incident, a second man in his fifties was discovered dead from knife wounds. Police reported that they thought the van that was used to injure the three persons had been stolen by the suspect.
When BBC talked to a witness, Lynn Haggitt told the TV that she saw an incident where a van had hit one male and one female who fell on the street.
A witness named Lynn Haggitt told BBC TV she had seen a van hit a man and a woman who were left lying in the street.
“He went straight into these two people. The woman went on the kerb, the man went up in the air,” she said. “There was such a bang. I wish I never saw it. It’s really shaken me up.”
