A sword-wielding man was arrested after stabbing several people in northeast London at the start of Tuesday morning’s commute, sending five victims to hospital, authorities said.
Just before 7 a.m., police received reports that a car had driven into a house and multiple people had been stabbed in the Hainault neighborhood of northeast London, according to a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police.
Video of the incident circulating on social media showed a man in a yellow sweatshirt brandishing a large sword among several nearby houses.
The unnamed suspect then attacked more members of the public and two police officers, police said.
A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene. The London Ambulance Service reported that five people were taken to hospital. Their conditions are unknown.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said there was no ongoing threat to the community and the incident did not appear to be terror-related.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement He was shocked by the news and would increase patrols in the area.
He said: “Police and emergency services show the best of our city – putting themselves at risk to protect others and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
British Home Secretary James Cleverley said on social media that he was receiving regular updates on the incident. He urged people not to speculate or share footage of the incident online.
Knife crime has been on the rise in England and Wales for about a decade. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Figures show that knife crime cases recorded by police rose by 5% in the year to September 2023 compared with the previous year, to almost 49,000, although this was down from 2020.
