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Three killed after man goes on stabbing spree in British town's park

News Service
09:31 - 21/06/2020 Sunday
Update: 09:33 - 21/06/2020 Sunday
REUTERS
A 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested on suspicion of murder, police said, adding that they were not searching for any more suspects.
A 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested on suspicion of murder, police said, adding that they were not searching for any more suspects.

'DEEPLY SHOCKING'

Video footage posted on Twitter showed paramedics rushing to help at least three people who were bleeding on the ground. Reuters was unable to verify the footage independently.

Matt Rodda, a lawmaker who represents Reading in Britain's parliament, said the park, located in an historic area of the town, was typically busy on a Saturday evening.

"It's used by people to sit and meet with friends and obviously at the moment people have been meeting there, observing social distancing, and just chatting to friends peacefully in a park," Rodda told Sky News.

"This incident happened in that kind of environment so it's really quite deeply shocking for local people."

Current coronavirus restrictions mean venues like pubs are closed, so many people in Britain gather in parks in the evenings to meet friends.

The head of the local council authority in Reading, Jason Brock, said his thoughts were "with the families of all those who have died or have been injured."

The attack in Reading took place at the site of a Black Lives Matter anti-racism protest in the town earlier on Saturday but police said it was not connected.

"There have been some reports that this incident was linked to the Black Lives Matter protest which took place in Reading earlier this afternoon," Hunter said. "I can confirm that this incident is not connected. It occurred around three hours after the protest had concluded."

Some 36 people were killed in four attacks in Britain blamed by authorities on terrorism in 2017, the most deadly of which occurred at the end of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester, northern England, with other attacks at London Bridge and near parliament.

Last year the government downgraded the national terrorism threat level to "substantial," meaning an attack is likely, from "severe".

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4 years ago