One person was seriously injured with several others treated for stab wounds after a suspected terrorist attack this morning at the Arndale Centre in Manchester city centre.
A 19-year-old woman was taken to hospital with stab wounds while another woman was also taken to hospital with stab injuries. Both their conditions are described as stable.
A man in his 50s has also been taken to hospital with stab wounds and a fourth person, a woman in her 40s who was not stabbed, did not need to go to hospital following assessment by paramedics.
GMP arrested a man in his 40s initially on suspicion of serious assault in relation to the 11.15am attack which was later confirmed as suspected terrorism. He has been taken into custody for questioning.
“He has been arrested on suspicion of the commision, preparation and instigation of an act of terrorism,” said GMP Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson.
“We do not know the motivation for this terrible attack – it appears random, he’s certainly brutal and it was of course extremely frightening for anyone who witnessed it.”
UPDATE: We have treated four patients, including one patient with serious injuries and all have been taken to hospital. For further updates follow @gmpolice
— North West Ambulance Service (@NWAmbulance) October 11, 2019
A lady who was evacuated told MM: “We were in the Arndale and the next minute people were saying ‘Everybody out’.
“On the way out we saw a young girl and she was quite shaken.”
BREAKING: Police cordon off area outside of Manchester Arndale after reports of stabbing pic.twitter.com/l3IoxGlGUZ
— Mancunian Matters (@MM_newsonline) October 11, 2019
Ryan Norman, 25, a worker at the top of the Arndale Tower, told MM there are “police everywhere” and the evacuation is going back “for miles”.
His office has been given very limited information on the events but they are being told they are not allowed to leave the office block.
The noise from the emergency services and the police helicopter is deafening with Norman also telling MM that there is a large armed police presence at the entrances of the Arndale now.
A JD Sports worker who was evacuated told MM: “I work behind the till and I just saw people running, and then we started closing the doors.
“First the managers said we need to leave. We got everyone out of JD. After about two minutes we opened again and people came in again and started working again. Then people said ‘Right, we need to leave now’.”
She’s now been told to go to another store to continue her shift.
Witness John Stokes told MM: “I saw him running out, and he had the knife, then he put the knife in the bin.
“Then the police grabbed him and put him down on the ground.
#Appeal | The public and media can help us by sending any images or footage they may have taken at the Arndale via this website at https://t.co/xS1URaRy8q.
Anyone who may have information that could assist the investigation should call 016185 60394. In an emergency dial 999. pic.twitter.com/n6IE1sSQZD
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) October 11, 2019
