A teenager has been charged with attempted murder after a double stabbing at a London school investigated by counter terrorism officers.
Two victims of a double stabbing at a London school are no longer in life-threatening condition, as police announce they have charged their 13-year-old suspect of two counts of attempted murder and one of a possession of a knife. The UK-born British national boy is due to appear before Westminster Youth Court today.
Police have said they are keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack and have not decided if it was terrorist-related.
It is stated police believe a boy scaled the wall of the school, sprayed a substance in a classroom and then stabbed one boy, aged 13, before running down a staircase and stabbing a second boy, aged 12. It is alleged the attacker then fled the school and was later arrested near a mosque in north-west London.
Police previously said of the arrest: “At this point we do not believe the suspect to have any particular connection to that mosque and, at this stage, we think that it may have been coincidental that he ended up in that area, and all of those at the mosque have been incredibly supportive of this investigation.”
A spokesman for Counter Terrorism Policing London said of the case this morning: “These are extremely serious charges against a young boy, and we continue to support the victims and their families, as well as the wider school community following this shocking incident.
“While we have now charged the boy with these offences, our investigation is ongoing, and detectives will continue to carry out enquiries in the local area. We are working closely with local policing colleagues in the Brent area, and I would also like to thank the school and the wider local community for their support in recent days.”
Police have appealed to the public not to speculate on the case, to allow the child suspect to have a fair trial without prejudice.
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