A 13-year-old boy, a former pupil of Kingsbury High School in Brent, north-west London, has been arrested after two boys were stabbed at the school, according to the Met Police.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when the suspect entered a first-floor classroom, sprayed a non-noxious substance on a pupil, and then stabbed a 13-year-old boy. As the attacker left the school, a 12-year-old boy was also stabbed, officers said.
The arrested boy was found at a mosque in the NW10 area and was held on suspicion of attempted murder. The Met Police stated that they do not believe the suspect had a connection to the mosque and think it was coincidental that he was in the area.
Police Response and Timeline
Det Ch Insp Luke Williams said the incident was "hugely distressing" for the local community but was a "one-off event which led to the swift arrest of the suspect". Officers were called to the scene at 12:39 GMT and arrived 13 minutes later.
Det Ch Sup Helen Flanagan, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the suspect fled the school immediately after the attacks. A knife was also seized when the suspect was arrested.
Investigation Underway
The Met Police are collecting witness statements from 30 to 40 children, along with CCTV from the school. The suspect's devices are also being examined by officers. Flanagan added that the force was using highly trained and specialist officers to carry out these interviews due to the young ages of many of the witnesses.
According to BBC London, the suspect was wearing school uniform. The Met Police have conducted searches across three addresses, two of which were connected to the suspect, and the mosque.
Reactions and Statements
Head teacher Alex Thomas described the incident as "a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community" in a letter to parents and carers. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the stabbing as an "appalling attack" and said his thoughts were with the two children and all those affected.
Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, told BBC Breakfast that installing mandatory knife arches was not something the government was looking into, but they are taking action on knife violence through training, investment, and support for young people.
