Nottingham attack cops give major update on motive as another person 'critical'
Cops say they are "keeping an open mind" over whether terrorism was a motive in the murder of three people in Nottingham city centre.
Detectives launched a major operation in the city's shopping precinct in the early hours of this morning after an attack left three people dead.
A 31-year-old man is meanwhile in custody after being arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.
Nottinghamshire Police has since confirmed it was exploring all possible motives for the attack - including terrorism.
Police were called to Ilkeston Road just after 4am after two people had been killed.
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They were then called to another incident in Milton Street where a van had attempted to run over three people.
Armed police prepare to raid an address on Ilkeston Road in NottinghamOne man is in hospital in a critical condition while two others are believed to have suffered minor injuries.
A man was also found dead in Magdala Road shortly afterwards.
A spokesperson for the force said on Tuesday afternoon: "Police are keeping an ‘open mind’ over the motive of a city attack which has left three people dead - but at this time believe there is no one else outstanding in connection with the incidents."
Several roads were shut off and public transport services halted as armed officers swarmed the city centre early in the morning.
Armed cops were seen entering a commercial property at one point, with two females put in the back of a marked car.
This map shows the incidents across the city centre (Daily Mirror)The force was contacted at around 4am with reports two people had been killed on Ilkeston Road - one of the roads in the city centre - with a third person found dead on another nearby street.
Officers were then called to nearby Milton Street where a van had attempted to hit three people.
One of the three injured people remained in critical condition on Tuesday. The two others suffered minor injuries.
Armed police on Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, which is cordoned off after two people were found dead in the street (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)Nottinghamshire's Chief Constable, Kate Meynell, said: “This is a tragic series of events which has led to the lives of three innocent people being taken and left another member of the public in a critical condition in hospital.
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“My thoughts are with all the families affected by this shocking incident, and we will be working extremely hard to understand exactly what has happened.
A police tactical support unit at the scene on Magdala Road (PA)“We are at the early stages of the investigation and need to determine the motives behind these attacks and will keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say more.
“We are keeping an open mind as we investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents and are working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing to establish the facts – as we would normally do in these types of circumstances.
“We do have a man in custody who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Currently, we do not believe there is anyone else involved in this incident.”
Police forensic officers at the scene on Magdala Road, where a third person was discovered dead (PA)One eyewitness told how he heard a “blood-curdling scream” and looked out of his window to see a man “dressed all in black with a hood and rucksack grappling with some people” before stabbing them.
“She (the female victim) was screaming ‘Help!’ I just wish I’d shouted something out of the window to unnerve the assailant,” the unnamed witness told the BBC.
“I saw him stab the lad first and then the woman. It was repeated stabbing – four or five times. The lad collapsed in the middle of the road.
“The girl stumbled towards a house and didn’t move. The next minute she had disappeared down the side of a house, and that’s where they found her.
“I’d say it all happened within five or six minutes. The attacker then just walked off up Ilkeston Road towards town, as calm as anything.”
Cracks can be seen on the van's windscreen (PA)Several roads in Nottingham city centre remained closed off on Tuesday afternoon for investigation, although police assured the public it was safe.
Lynn Haggitt, another witness who had been walking to work at the time, said she was shaken up after seeing a white van knock down two people near the city's Theatre Royal.
“He looked in his mirror, saw a police car behind him, he then quickened up, there were two people, two in the corner, he went straight into these two people,” she told the BBC.
Eyewitness Lynn Haggitt (@Channel4News/Twitter)“The woman went on the kerb, the man went up in the air, there was such a bang, I wish I never saw it, it’s really shaken me up.
“I went over, perhaps I shouldn’t have gone over but I wanted to see if I could help.
“He (the van driver) backed up after he hit… and drove up Parliament Street.
“The woman was sitting up on the kerb, she looked OK. The man was laying down, but then he got up, sat on the side waiting for an ambulance.”
Ms Haggitt added: “I can’t believe he was able to get up after the head wound”.
Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “This is a tragic series of events which has led to the lives of three innocent people being taken and left another member of the public in a critical condition in hospital.
“My thoughts are with all the families affected by this shocking incident, and we will be working extremely hard to understand exactly what has happened.
“We are at the early stages of the investigation and need to determine the motives behind these attacks and will keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say more.
“We are keeping an open mind as we investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents and are working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing to establish the facts – as we would normally do in these types of circumstances.
“We do have a man in custody who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Currently, we do not believe there is anyone else involved in this incident.
“It is safe to go into the city centre but there are a number of streets that will remain closed including Ilkeston Road, Magdala Street, Milton Street and Maple Street. This is so officers can gather evidence in order to understand what has happened.”
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