Lawrence Wort, 20, told PA: “So the park was pretty full, a lot of people sat around drinking with friends when one lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.“He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running.“When he realised that he couldn’t catch us, he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person in the back of the neck and then when he realised everyone was starting to run, he ran out the park.”South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: “Multiple ambulance resources were sent to the scene including, five ambulance crews, one specialist practitioner, three ambulance officers, our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), the helicopter and critical care response unit from Thames Valley Air Ambulance and the critical care unit from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, two ambulance doctors and our colleagues from London Ambulance Service.“We were assessing and treating a number of casualties who had sustained injuries as a result of the incident. A 25-year-old man from Reading has been arrested on suspicion of murder after being detained at the scene. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the stabbing was "very concerning". Reading stabbing: Eyewitness describes park attack Three people have died after they were stabbed in a park in Reading in southern England. The Thames Valley Police force said officers arrested a 25-year-old local man at the scene and they were not looking for anyone else.“There is no intelligence to suggest that there is any further danger to the public,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter.The attack came out of the blue on a sunny summer evening in Forbury Gardens park in Reading, a town of 200,000 residents 40 miles west of London.Prime Minister Boris Johnson was being briefed on developments. Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Thank you to the police and other emergency service personnel responding.”Boris Johnson added: “My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.”Police said there was “no indication” the attack was linked to a Black Lives Matter protest at the park earlier in the day.Organiser Nieema Hassan said in a video message posted to Facebook: “In terms of the protest and the people who attended from Black Lives Matter, we’re all safe. His office said Johnson had met security officials, police and senior ministers on Sunday morning for an update on the investigation.Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was “closely monitoring the situation.”Police officers patrolled cordons on the roads leading to the park on Sunday, and blue-and-white tents were erected near the site of the attack. "He stabbed three of them severely in the neck and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running," Wort said.The man stabbed another person in the back of the neck, Wort said, before running out of the park. "My thoughts are with everyone involved, including police and emergency responders at the scene. The attack happened at Forbury Gardens at about 19:00 BST where several people were stabbed. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.CNN's Joseph Netto and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.Police arrested a 25-year-old man after a deadly stabbing incident in Reading, England, on Saturday. Two queer men who lost their lives after a lone man began stabbing people in Reading, England, have been named as Joe Ritchie-Bennett (L) and James Furlong (R).
READING, England — British police said Sunday they are treating a stabbing rampage in a park that killed three people as a terrorist attack. "This is not currently being treated as a terrorism incident, however officers are keeping an open mind as to the motivation for the incident and are being supported by colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing South East," Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter said.An earlier report from the PA Media news agency, citing an unnamed source, said police were treating the incident as terror related. Video footage on social media showed multiple people with serious injuries being treated by emergency workers in Forbury Gardens after a reportedly unrelated Black Lives Matter event in the area. “He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running.
"My thoughts are with everyone involved, including police and emergency responders at the scene. "There is no intelligence to suggest that there is any further danger to the public, however we urge people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious by calling police," Hunter said.Officers near Forbury Gardens in Reading, England, where police responded to a stabbing incident on Saturday, June 20, 2020.At least two people suffering from stab wounds were being treated at the nearby Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading following the incident Saturday, according to a hospital spokeswoman.The South Central Ambulance Service confirmed it responded to the incident to treat "a number of casualties who had sustained injuries as a result of the incident. Families living in the building were evacuated.One eyewitness said the attack looked “completely random”. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Six people were injured during the incident at Forbury Gardens in Reading's town center. "He stabbed three of them severely in the neck and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running," Wort said.The man stabbed another person in the back of the neck, Wort said, before running out of the park. "The service said five ambulance crews and two air ambulance crews responded to stabbing.One eyewitness gave an account to PA Media, describing a man who shouted before stabbing people. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
Thank you to all those people who stopped and helped those who were injured as a result of this situation.”Home secretary Priti Patel tweeted: “Deeply concerned to hear reports of an incident in Reading.