Three persons were killed in a knife and van attack in the English city of Nottingham on Tuesday. The city in central England was placed under lockdown by the United Kingdom police following the incident. The van attempted to target three others as well, reported ABC News.
According to the police, a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder, and they were investigating a potential connection to the van incident. The Telegraph, quoting sources, said that the suspect was tased and then detained.
Authorities were alerted to the situation just after 4:00 am (local time) when two persons were discovered dead on the street. Two of the victims are students of Nottingham University. The body of a man was also found at a separate location. One of the victims has been identified as 19-year-old Barnaby Webber, who previously attended Taunton School, reported The Telegraph.
The three individuals involved in the van incident were receiving medical treatment at a hospital, as stated in a police release.
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman reacted to the incident, saying: "I am shocked & saddened that three people have lost their lives today in Nottingham. My thoughts are with those affected by this incident."
Glen Gretton, a local resident, recounted being awakened around 5:00 am by the sound of multiple police cars passing by his home.
"I heard a police car go past. It was driving extremely quickly, followed by another one, another one," said the 46-year-old delivery driver. "They just kept coming, so I knew something quite major... was happening somewhere around the city centre."
Chief Constable Kate Meynell described the incident as "horrific and tragic," resulting in the loss of three lives. She confirmed that the three incidents appeared to be connected and that a suspect was in custody.
Television footage of Nottingham revealed a heavily policed city centre cordoned off in response to the incident.