Counterterrorism police in Britain are investigating an assault on Saturday that “critically injured” two girls within the northern English metropolis of Leeds. The police mentioned that that they had recovered a crossbow and a firearm.
The police arrested a 38-year-old man, who was taken to the hospital with what they referred to as a “self-inflicted harm.”
They mentioned they weren’t searching for anybody else in reference to the assault, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, and that the motive for the violence remained below investigation.
“Clearly this has been a stunning incident,” mentioned Carl Galvin, an assistant chief constable with the West Yorkshire Police, the pressure that led the preliminary police operation. He thanked civilians and emergency responders for serving to the victims.
“We might strongly urge folks to not speculate on-line or share info or footage which may have an effect on the lively investigation,” he added.
The incident comes amid debates about violence and terrorism in Britain, which remains to be reckoning with the killing of three younger ladies final July in Southport, in northwest England. The knife assault final yr set off rioting, which was infected by disinformation and far-right agitators.
Knife crime is extra widespread than crossbow assaults in Britain, however the usage of the weapon just isn’t with out precedent within the nation. Final July, a person with a crossbow killed three girls in London — his ex-partner, who had not too long ago ended their relationship, in addition to her sister and their mom.
A separate crossbow assault, which the police mentioned resulted in non-life-threatening accidents, was reported in London in March final yr.