U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the people of Nottingham “will be shaken beyond belief” as police continue to probe an attack that left three people dead and another in a critical condition.
Three victims of Tuesday’s incident — which saw a 31-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder in the East Midlands city — have now been named. Braverman told MPs that Nottinghamshire Police continue to keep an “open mind” with support from counter-terror police.
“This does not mean that it is currently being treated as a terrorist attack,” she stressed.
A major incident was declared in Nottingham on Tuesday morning after a man attacked two students with a knife on Ilkeston Road, which leads into the city center.
Both victims were found unresponsive when police arrived on the scene, according to the force, which said a man matching the description of the suspect then attempted to gain entry to a homeless hostel elsewhere in Nottingham.
Police believe the suspect then fatally stabbed a man and stole his van — which was subsequently used to run over three members of the public. The suspect was detained by police armed with tasers, Nottinghamshire constabulary said, after “he abandoned the vehicle and approached officers with a knife.”
Two students at the University of Nottingham — Barnaby Webber and Grace Kumar — along with school caretaker Ian Coates were named as victims Wednesday. Nottinghamshire Police said another man “is in hospital in a critical condition while others are believed to have suffered minor injuries.”
Speaking in the Commons, Braverman relayed the “sorrow” of MPs, and said: “All of us extend a hand of friendship to the people of Nottingham.”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who represents Nottingham East and attended a vigil in the city Tuesday night, paid tribute to the “unity and resilience” of the people of Nottingham, which she said had been “devastated” by the attack.
“The people of Nottingham will be shaken beyond belief over the events over the last few days,” Braverman replied. “We are with them as a nation and we stand by them, with them and we will support them in all ways that they need.”
