A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing two boys, aged 12 and 13, inside a classroom at Kingsbury High School in northwest London on Tuesday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police said.
The attack occurred around 12:40 p.m. at the school in the Brent borough. Officers arrived within minutes and found the victims suffering from stab wounds. One of the boys was stabbed in the neck and back, witnesses and news reports said.
Both were taken to hospitals, where they are in serious condition. One was transferred to a major trauma center.
The suspect, who was not a pupil at the school, fled the scene but was arrested nearby about an hour later. A weapon believed to have been used in the attack was recovered, the police said.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police told reporters at the school that the investigation was being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London “due to the surrounding circumstances.” He added that officers were “keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this attack” and that it had not been declared a terrorist incident.Multiple witnesses told British news outlets that the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is greatest”) during the stabbings. The claim was widely reported in outlets including the Daily Mail and The Sun but has not been confirmed in official police statements.
The school was placed on lockdown, with students held in the hall for several hours. Parts of the school, including the lower school, remained closed on Wednesday as investigations continued.
The head teacher described the event as “deeply traumatic” for the school community.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the violence, saying it had “absolutely no place in our city.” Local member of Parliament Dawn Butler said she was “deeply shocked and saddened” and was in contact with the police and the school.
