Three people have died and three were injured in an attack in the centre of Nottingham yesterday.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, two students from the University of Nottingham were found stabbed to death on a street to the west of the city centre. Police were called to the scene just after 4 a.m. Today, the two victims have been named as Barnaby Webber and Grace Kumar, both 19.
In a related incident, some time after 5 a.m, a third man in his 50s, who has not been named, was also found dead in a street five minutes away. He appeared to have been stabbed to death.
Police believe the suspect, a 31-year-old man, stole the victim’s van before heading to a third location around 5.30 a.m, where he ploughed into three people, one of whom remains in critical condition in hospital.
The centre of Nottingham was placed in lockdown for several hours yesterday while police attempted to apprehend the suspect and secure the scene. The police stopped the van at a fourth location in the city and were able to Taser and arrest the suspect. He remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.
Little information is currently known about the suspect or the motive for the attack. However, according to the BBC, he is a migrant of West African origin with a history of mental health problems. Police have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the attack.
Last night, Nottingham University cancelled a planned graduation event and students attended a vigil for the victims. Barnaby Webber’s family, from Taunton, Somerset, paid tribute to him, describing their ‘complete devastation’ at the ‘senseless murder of our son’. They said he was a ‘beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute to the victims and said: ‘My thoughts are with those injured, and the family and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.’
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