London Bridge Attack: seven Killed, forty eight Wounded; three Suspects Shot Dead by Police
by Saphora Smith , Fiona Day , Chloe Hubbard and Phil Helsel
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LONDON — Seven people died and almost fifty were injured when a terrorist attack unfolded in the heart of the British capital on Saturday night.
Officials said a vehicle barreled into pedestrians on London Bridge, and then three attackers embarked on a stabbing rampage at nearby Borough Market.
The National Health Service in England told NBC News that twenty one people injured in the attack were in critical condition.
In the wake of the attack, British Prime Minister Theresa May said “things must switch” when it comes to counter-terrorism policies.
“We cannot and must not pretend that things can proceed as they are,” she told reporters outside her official residence on Sunday. “There is — to be frank — far too much tolerance of extremism in our country.”
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London’s Metropolitan Police said Sunday that they had arrested twelve people in the neighborhood of Barking and were still searching properties in the area.
Those arrested were identified by police as a 38-year-old woman, a 28-year-old man, a 52-year-old man, 55-year-old man, 27-year-old man, a 55-year-old man who has since been released without charge, 49-year-old woman, 60-year-old woman, a 19-year-old woman, a 27-year-old woman, a 24-year-old woman and a 53-year-old woman.
The incident was reported at Ten:08 p.m. (Five:08 p.m. ET) on Saturday. Within eight minutes, all of the suspects had been fatally shot by officers, according to authorities.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the three fellows were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests but they turned out to be fake.
He added that all of the attackers were believed to have been killed but added that it was early in the investigation.
Rowley said at a press conference later Sunday that investigators were making “significant progress” in identifying the three attackers and confirming if they were the only ones involved.
He added that eight officers fired fifty bullets while attempting to stop the attackers, an “unprecedented number of rounds.”
It was a “matter of life or death,” as the assailants appeared to be wearing suicide belts, he said.
One member of the public was shot during the exchange but did not sustain life-threatening injuries, Rowley said.
He added that the public should expect to see extra police presence across the capital.
One of the those stabbed was a British Transport Police officer, who suffered serious but non-life menacing wounds. Forty-eight people were taken to hospitals in London, the ambulance service said.
Few details about the victims have been released, but on Sunday evening the French embassy in the UK said on Twitter that a French citizen was among those killed. Earlier, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau said one of its citizens was killed in the attack.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the incident as a “horrific terrorist attack,” adding: “My message to Londoners . is to be silent and vigilant today.”
When asked whether elections planned for Thursday should be postponed, Khan said “I’m not an advocate of postponing the election.”
“One of the things these terrorists hate is voting,” he said Sunday morning. “They hate democracy, they hate elections and the public choosing who should be our leaders.”