A 13-year-old boy has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after two pupils at a school in north-west London were stabbed on Tuesday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with spraying insect spray in the face of a third child and possession of a knife on school grounds on Tuesday.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan, from Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “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 said on Wednesday that the attack had not been declared a terrorist incident, and officers are understood to be leaning toward a motivation related to a personal grievance, rather than terrorist ideology.
Police said they have searched three premises and are interviewing 30 to 40 witnesses in the wake of the stabbing.
Unconfirmed reports have said one of the victims was stabbed in the neck.
What we know
Det. Ch. Supt. Flanagan from Counter-Terrorism Policing London said the suspect – a former pupil and a British national – arrived at the school at around 12.30pm on Tuesday (10 February) and, according to reports, “climbed over a wall” to gain entry to the building.
He went up to a first-floor classroom and sprayed a substance towards a pupil, who was not injured, and the liquid is not thought to have been noxious.
Reports suggest one of the victims pulled a fire alarm in an attempt to alert teachers to the stabbing.
The suspect then stabbed a 13-year-old boy in the classroom before running along a hallway and down a flight of stairs. He then stabbed a 12-year-old boy on the ground floor before fleeing the school.
Officers were called to the school at 12.40pm. Both of the boys who were injured are in a serious condition and are receiving “urgent care”, according to police.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams speaking to members of the media at Kingsbury High School, north-west London.
(Ben Whitley, PA Images)
The suspect left the scene but was later arrested. A weapon has been recovered, which is believed to have been used in the stabbings.
Det. Ch. Supt. Flanagan told the press briefing: “We’ve carried out searches across three premises, two addresses connected to the suspect, as well as the mosque where the suspect was arrested.
“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.“
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams previously said police were “keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind the attack” and were not looking for any other suspects.
Pupils, some of whom were crying, and parents were leaving the school on Tuesday evening after being spoken to by police hours after the end of the school day.
What has the reaction been?
Alex Thomas, the school’s headteacher, described the incident as a “deeply traumatic event for the whole school community”.
“The situation is under control, but a live investigation is taking place,” he said in a letter to parents and carers.
“We are working closely with the authorities and I will provide further updates as soon as I am able to share confirmed information. Please keep the students and their families in your thoughts.”
The leader of Brent Council said it is “horrifying to think of how someone so young came to be in possession of a weapon capable of causing such harm”.
Councillor Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent Council, thanked the emergency services and school staff for their “swift response”.
Police at Kingsbury High School, north-west London, where two boys, aged 12 and 13, have been stabbed.
(SWNS)
He added: “This is a deeply shocking and distressing incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured, their families and the whole school community. No parent should ever have to fear for their child’s safety at school, and it is horrifying to think of how someone so young came to be in possession of a weapon capable of causing such harm.”
In a post on X, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “I am heartbroken to hear about the stabbings at a school in Brent. My heart goes out to the families affected and the young people, teachers & school community at this awful time.”
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said her thoughts and prayers were with the two children stabbed in the “shocking attack”.
She posted on X: “A shocking attack at Kingsbury High School, where two children have been stabbed.
“My thoughts and my prayers are with them, their families and all those affected.“
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged anyone with information to contact the police, adding: “There is no honour in staying silent.”
“This awful violence has absolutely no place in our city,” he said.
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