Oxford Circus incident: What has been happening in central London – in pictures
Armed police respond to reports of gun shots but later said there was no evidence any had been fired
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police rushed to Oxford Circus station in the midst of rush hour on Friday evening following reports of gunshots.
Pictures and video showed people fleeing the scene and taking shelter in nearby shops.
Officers sealed off the surrounding area and closed Bond Street station as a crowd control measure while armed police responded to the reports.
Police later said there was no evidence that shots had been fired.
The station reopened just over an hour after police were first called. Witnesses had reported seeing smoke.
The Metropolitan Police said it had responded as if the incident was terror-related but later announced it had "not located any trace of any suspects, evidence of shots fired or casualties".
One woman sustained a minor injury while fleeing the station, British Transport police said.
Three fire engines and 15 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
Witnesses reported people fleeing the scene in tears, screaming. Some suffered panic attacks amid the confusion about what was happening.
Many posted pictures from the scene on social media.
Other posted video of the incident.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments