Watch: Man seen carrying sword outside in Hainault
Just as the Tuesday morning rush hour and school run got under way, the quiet residential streets of a north-east London suburb were overtaken by panic and screams.
In the space of less than half an hour in Hainault, schoolboy Daniel Anjorin and four other people were attacked.
A few hours later, police confirmed the 14-year-old had died of his injuries.
Witnesses captured footage of a man prowling the streets brandishing a samurai-style sword, as residents were warned to lock their doors.
Police have described the incident as “truly horrific” and are still piecing together how and why this attack unfolded.
How did the attack play out?
Shortly before 07:00 BST on Tuesday morning, police received reports of a car being driven into a house near Hainault’s Underground rail station.
One witness told PA news agency he heard shrieking and police officers confronting the suspect.
Doorbell footage appears to show the van, with someone in its path, crashing into a building
He continued: “I looked out the back window because the noise was coming from back there, I saw a bloke dressed in yellow jumping over some fences… I saw a policeman and policewoman – normal coppers with the short-sleeved shirts – who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down.”
Manpreet Singh told the BBC he saw a “group of people, five or six of them, trying to fight off a guy – he had a sword in his hand”.
He told Radio 5 Live he saw the man running towards Hainault’s nearby Underground station and entering a road opposite, before trying to get into a house.
Mr Singh said the suspect was trying to fight police officers off and was Tasered.
Watch: Police pursue sword stabbing suspect as he climbs over garage roofs
Eyewitness James Fernando said a grey transit van pulled up and a “man a got out with a samurai sword”. The man tried to talk to one female resident who ran away from him, he continued.
He said that as the man pulled the sword into the air, the woman tried to warn another neighbour who turned around, only to be “struck in the head”.
The suspect “was running around, still after the police officers came, with the sword in his hand, looking for victims”, Mr Fernando added.
Image source, PA Media
Aerial pictures showed a van that appeared to have been crashed near to the scene of the attack
In one video, the suspect can be seen looking in houses along Laing Close, near where a motionless person was also seen lying in the road.
One member of the public appears to have had a lucky escape. Footage captured the moment they emerged from a house into which the suspect had been looking moments before.
They can be seen poking their head out the door and seeing the attacker, before quickly disappearing back inside.
Image source, @ell_pht
One person was metres away from the suspect but was not seen
Another member of the public captured footage of the suspect being pursued by police as he climbed over fences and garages and into gardens.
A man can be heard warning residents by screaming “everybody lock your doors”.
Police say they arrested a suspect 22 minutes after they received the first 999 call from a member of the public.
What do we know about the victims?
There were five victims in total, one of whom – 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin – died of his wounds. Two of those injured were police officers.
Daniel was a pupil at Bancroft’s school, in Woodford Green, east London. The school was also attended by Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who died in a knife attack in Nottingham – where she was studying at university – in June 2023.
A tribute to Daniel posted on the school’s website read: “He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits.
“His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us. Losing such a young pupil is something we will always struggle to come to terms with.”
Image source, Family handout
The Met released an image of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin
The other four victims are all expected to survive their injuries.
A 33-year-old man was injured when a van driven by the suspect hit him and slammed into a home in Laing Close.
He then suffered a wound to his neck after a further attack.
Another member of the public, a 35-year-old man, suffered slash wounds to his arm when he was “attacked inside a nearby property”.
Two Metropolitan Police officers who were injured have “significant but not life-threatening” injuries and require surgery, the Met confirmed.
On Wednesday, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley confirmed a male officer sustained serious hand injuries and a female officer underwent several hours of surgery to repair “horrifically serious” wounds to her arm.
Ambulance crews, specialist critical care paramedics and London’s Air ambulance treated the five people “with a variety of injuries” before taking them all to hospital, where the boy later died.
Is this incident being classed as a terror attack by police?
No. The Met Police said within hours of the incident that it “does not appear to be terror-related” and also said they did not believe it was a “targeted attack”.
Police have also said they are not looking for any more suspects and there is no ongoing risk to the public.
What do we know about the suspect?
Police arrested a 36-year-old man at the scene.
As of Wednesday afternoon, he was in police custody after spending time in hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
Police said there had been speculation about the man’s background, including whether police had any previous contact with him. They said checks have found no trace of a prior incident involving the man, but added “we are working to be absolutely certain”.
In one video, the suspect can be heard shouting in English.
Where did the attack happen?
The incident occurred in Hainault, a suburban area in Ilford, which is part of the London Borough of Redbridge.
Hainault is part of Greater London and is around 14 miles (22.5km) from the centre of the capital.
Do you live or work in Hainault? Tell us how you have been affected by the incident by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
