Tragic Stabbing in London: Teenage Boy Killed, Man Arrested with Weapon

I want to reiterate that at present we do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community, we are not looking for more suspects and this incident does not appear to be terror related, he said.The police chief said the other two members of the public injured in the truly horrific incident remain in hospital, their injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

A sword-wielding man on Tuesday smashed a vehicle into a home and then went on a stabbing spree in a ''serious incident" near an east London Tube station, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding four people, before being arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.

The police said the incident did not appear to be linked with ''any act of terrorism" and that two other members of public and two police officers who sustained stab wounds in the "serious incident" remain in hospital after the attack in Hainault area of the city. The police initially said the boy who succumbed to his injuries in hospital was 13 years old, but later clarified his age as 14.

''The child's family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers and everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time,'' Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads local policing for the Met Police's East Area Command, said in a statement.

''A 36-year-old man is currently in custody. He was tasered and arrested 22 minutes after the first call to police was received shortly before 7am. I want to reiterate that at present we do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community, we are not looking for more suspects and this incident does not appear to be terror related," he said.

The police chief said the other two members of the public injured in the "truly horrific" incident remain in hospital, their injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The two Met Police officers who sustained injuries in the line of duty are also in hospital with stab wounds, both requiring surgery due to "significant injuries, but these are not life-threatening''.

The suspect is at the hospital and police have been unable to question him as yet.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said King Charles III's ''thoughts and prayers'' are with those affected by the attack in Hainault.

It said the King has asked to be kept ''fully informed'' as details of the incident become clearer.

''His thoughts and prayers are with all those affected - in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life - and he salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation,'' the statement said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described it as a "shocking incident", saying that such violence has no place on the country's streets.

"This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families. I'd like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene," said Sunak.

"Such violence has no place on our streets," he said.

There is a police presence at the scene in Hainault, with images of a smashed van visible in a large cordoned off area and the nearby tube station being closed down.

"This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned. I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm. People will want to know what has happened and we will provide more information as soon as we can," said Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan.

Eyewitnesses said they saw a standoff between the suspect and the police before he was tasered as he attempted to force his way into a house.

Earlier, the police and emergency services said they were called just before 7am local time to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house at Thurlow Gardens in east London. Video footage on social media shows the bearded suspect walking around bushes with a large bladed sword after he smashed the vehicle into a home. ''We do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the wider community. We are not looking for more suspects. This incident does not appear to be terror-related," the Met Police said soon after. London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the emergency services for their quick action.

''The police and emergency services showed the best of our city – running towards danger to protect others and I thank them from the bottom of my heart,'' he said in a statement.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said on X that he was being updated ''regularly'' on the incident.

"My thoughts are with those who have been affected & thank you to the emergency responders. I would urge people not to speculate or share footage online and provide relevant information to the police," he said.

Wes Streeting, the Labour MP for the area, thanked the ''heroic'' police officers who put themselves in harm's way in response to the ''horrific incident''.

''My prayers are with those who've been injured and their loved ones. I know there will be widespread fear and alarm in our community," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)