London Mosque Live: Attacker Identified, Is Father to Four
One person has been arrested, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
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- One dead, 10 others injured, after van mows down pedestrians outside a mosque in north London’s Finsbury Park area
- Attacker named as Darren Osborne
- PM May terms attack a “sickening” attempt to destroy liberties that unite Britain
- A number of the victims were worshippers who were leaving Finsbury Park Mosque after prayers at the time of the attack
- The 48-year-old driver of the van was detained by passersby
Attacker Named as Darren Osborne
According to a report on The Guardian, the attacker has been identified as 47-year-old Darren Osborne. Osborne is reportedly a married man, and is father to four children.
The family is supposedly based in Weston-super-Mare, close to Cardiff golf club in the north east of the city suburbs. Osborne was arrested by the police on suspiscion of attempted murder, following the attack.
He had reportedly shouted “I want to kill all Muslims” as he rammed his van into people early Monday morning.
Attacker Not Known to Security Forces
UK Security Minister Ben Wallace said that the man arrested over the mosque attack was not previously known to authorities in terms of extremism.
PM May Gives Statement on Attack
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has described the attack on a north London mosque attack as a "sickening" attempt to destroy liberties that unite Britain, such as freedom of worship.
May says the man who plowed a van into a crowd of people leaving evening prayers acted alone and that people outside the mosque apprehended him.
Ten people were injured and police are investigating whether a man who died while being given first aid at the scene died from the attack or something else.
May praised the resolve of the people of London in responding to the incident and said extra police resources have already been deployed to assure the public in a time of tension.
Witnesses Recall Attack
Witnesses recall a hired vehicle swerving into a group of people leaving prayers shortly after midnight at the Finsbury Park Mosque, one of the biggest in the country, witnesses said. The attack comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"This big van just came and went all over us," witness Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi told BuzzFeed News. "He was screaming... 'I'm going to kill all Muslims'."
One witness told CNN it was clear that the attacker at Finsbury Park had deliberately targeted Muslims. "He tried to kill a lot of people so obviously it's a terrorist attack. He targeted Muslims this time," the witness, identified only as Rayan, said.
"From the window, I started hearing a lot of yelling and screeching, a lot of chaos outside. … Everybody was shouting: 'A van’s hit people, a van’s hit people'," one woman who lives opposite the scene told the BBC.
"There was this white van stopped outside Finsbury Park mosque that seemed to have hit people who were coming out after prayers had finished."
Driver to Undergo Mental Health Assessment
A van ploughed into worshippers leaving a London mosque on Monday, killing at least one person and injuring several in what Britain's largest Muslim organisation said was a deliberate act of Islamophobia.
The vehicle hit people as they were leaving the Finsbury Park Mosque, one of the biggest in the country, the Muslim Council of Britain said. The attack comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when people attend prayers at night.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said police had confirmed it was being treated as a potential terrorist attack and said she would chair an emergency response meeting later on Monday.
"All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and the emergency services on the scene," she said.
Police said one man was pronounced dead at the scene and that the van driver, 48, had been detained by members of the public before being arrested. The driver would undergo a mental health assessment in due course, police said.
London Attack Against Values of Tolerance, Freedom and Respect: Sadiq Khan
In a post, on Facebook, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the attack is an assault on tolerance, freedom and respect.
He said that Metropolitan police have deployed additional forces to reassure communities, especially those observing Ramadan.
1 Dead, 10 Injured
One person was killed and 10 others injured on Monday when a van collided with pedestrians near a North London mosque in an incident which is being investigated by counter terrorism officers, police said.
"One man was pronounced dead at the scene," the Metropolitan police said in a statement.
Police said eight people had been taken to three separate hospitals and two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
A 48-year old van driver, who was detained by members of public at the scene and then arrested by police, has been taken to hospital and will be subject to a mental health assessment.
"Possible Terrorist Attack"
PM Theresa May said that police is treating the incident as a potential terrorist attack. She will also chair an emergency response meeting after Monday’s incident.
One Confirmed Dead
One person has been confirmed dead at the Finsbury incident, London Metropolitan Police tweeted. The counter terrorism command is currently investigating the attack.
A white man deliberately ploughed a van into worshippers near a north London mosque, the Muslim Council of Britain said on Monday, citing witnesses and video from the incident which left several people injured.
"It appears that a white man in a van intentionally ploughed into a group of worshippers who were already tending to someone who had been taken ill," the Muslim Council said in a statement.
MCB Urges for Tighter Security
The Muslim Council of Britain urged for security to be increased outside mosques during the month of Ramzan and Eid celebrations as the Muslim community has been at the receiving end of hate crime and Islamophobia.
In a message on Twitter it said:
British Counter-Terrorism Officer Join Probe
British counter-terrorism officers have joined the London Metropolitan Police to help investigate into the incident, The Guardian reported.
Labour Party Leader "Totally Shocked"
Leader of Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn tweeted saying he was totally shocked at this “awful event”. He offered condolences to those affected by it.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday that her thoughts were with all those injured after a van rammed into worshippers leaving a mosque.
"This is a terrible incident," May said in an emailed statement. "All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones, and the emergency services on the scene."
Two Feared Dead
Two people are feared to be dead in the attack near London’s Finsbury Park Mosque, English daily The Sun reported.
Live from Finsbury Park
Man Jumped Out of Vehicle With a Knife: Witnesses
Quoting witnesses, Evening Standard, a local news publication from London, reported that one man leapt out of the vehicle with a knife, stabbing at least one of the victims.
British police said they were called to reports of a vehicle colliding with pedestrians in Finsbury Park area of north London and that there were a number of casualties.
One person has been arrested, London's Metropolitan Police said. LBC radio said there were reports a van had driven into a crowd of people in Finsbury Park.
At Least 10 Hit
At least ten pedestrians were hit by a van outside the mosque, reported Reuters, quoting witnesses who have spoken to Sky News.
Police Arrive At Finsbury Park
As police arrive at Finsbury Park, all roads leading to the incident site have been shut down, reported Daily Mail.
Muslim Council of Britain: Van Ran Over Worshippers Intentionally
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella body, responded to the incident.
Harun Khan, the head of the MCB, tweeted that the van had "intentionally" run over worshippers.
The mosque is near Seven Sisters Road, where the accident happened, and was once a notorious hub for radical Islamists but has entirely changed under new management.
This is a developing story. Further details awaited.
Earlier This Month...
Earlier this month, a van veered into pedestrians on London Bridge, setting off vehicle and knife attacks that killed eight and wounded many others on the bridge and in the nearby Borough Market area.
Three Muslim extremists who carried out the attack were killed by police.
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