A store security guard said he tried to save an 11-year-old girl when she was attacked by a knifeman in London’s Leicester Square.
The Metropolitan Police said a 32-year-old man, who was considered the only suspect, had been arrested following the attack in the tourist hotspot on Monday.
The security guard, who gave his name as 29-year-old Abdullah and works at the TWG tea shop in the square, told the PA news agency: “I heard a scream, at that moment I saw there was a person there, about mid-30s or early 30s, and he was acting like he was stabbing a child.
“I jumped on him, grabbed the hand that had a knife in it and just put him on the ground, held him down and took the knife away from him.
“Then a few other people came over and we just held him until the police came. It took maybe three or four minutes for the police to arrive and then they just took him into custody.”
Police said two victims, an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman, were taken to a major trauma center following the incident.
The girl had to be treated in hospital, but her injuries were not life-threatening. The woman suffered minor injuries, police said in a statement.
It further said that there was no evidence that the incident had a terrorist background.
The police do not believe that the suspect and the victims knew each other.
Abdullah said he and his colleagues provided first aid to the child before police intervened. He did not know whether the girl was with family members at the time.
“I saw a child being stabbed and I tried to save her. It is my duty to save her,” he said.
The square and surrounding area attract an estimated 2.5 million visitors each week and are home to shops, theaters, cinemas and restaurants.
A police cordon was placed around the double doors of the TWG tea shop, which is located next to the Lego shop and in front of the M&Ms shop, cordoning off the crime scene.
A police statement said: “Officers are at the scene of a stabbing in Leicester Square.
“A man was arrested and is in custody.
“We don’t believe there are any other suspects.
“Two victims, an 11-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman, were taken to hospital and we are awaiting updates on their condition.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called at 11.36am on Monday 12 August to reports of a stabbing in Leicester Square.
“We have dispatched resources to the scene, including a rescue team, a paramedic and an incident commander. We have also dispatched members of our tactical response unit.”
“We treated a child and an adult on site and transported them to a major trauma center.”
A witness who gave his name as Desmond, 45, said the perpetrator was a white, thin man wearing a black T-shirt and jeans.
He said the knifeman targeted the girl, put her in a headlock and stabbed her.
Desmond told reporters: “When I looked to the side, I saw a young man … stabbing her several times with a knife.”
He added: “It was so horrible, I have never seen anything like it.
“I was heartbroken, I saw the woman screaming with all her might.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: “This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We will continue to offer them support in the coming days and weeks.”
“I would like to thank the citizens, including employees of local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves in danger and in doing so showed London at its best.
“Urgent investigations are currently underway and investigators are working to establish the exact details of the incident.”
Witnesses and anyone with footage or images of the incident are asked to call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference number 2745/12AUG.
