Five people were taken to hospital, including three young children following a suspected stabbing incident in Ireland's Dublin city centre on Thursday, news agency Reuters reported citing reports from Ireland's national broadcaster RTE. According to the report, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stated that police had detained a suspect.
As per the report, Irish police have issued a statement confirming their presence at the scene of a serious incident in Dublin's Parnell Square. Emergency services are on the scene, and a photograph posted on RTE's website shows police cordoning off a section of the square adjacent to O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare. At this time, authorities have not provided any additional information, the report said.
According to the BBC, the incident occurred around 1.30pm on Thursday outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, a school in Dublin's Parnell Square East neighbourhood.
"Three young children, a man, and a woman were transported to the hospital, with one of the children, a girl, and the woman suffering serious injuries." "Police detained a male suspect and are believed to have recovered a large knife," according to the report.
According to one witness, Siobhan Kearney, bystanders disarmed the suspected attacker and pinned him to the ground, with several kicking him. "People were attempting to assault the man. So an American lady and I formed a ring around him and said we'd wait for the garda."
According to some accounts, the attack occurred as the children were leaving school. Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire is a four-story Georgian building that houses an Irish-medium primary school with 172 students, the BBC report said.
According to the Irish Times, the knife was thrown under trees on the opposite side of the road outside the Rotunda hospital.
Within minutes, ambulances and other emergency services arrived. The streets were closed and the area was declared a crime scene.
According to a Garda spokesperson, five people were taken to hospitals in the Dublin area. "Among those killed were an adult male, an adult female, and three young children. One child, a girl, has suffered serious injuries, while the other two are receiving treatment for less serious injuries. The adult female is being treated for serious injuries, while the adult male is being treated for minor injuries," BBC reported.