All we know about Nottingham attacks that left three people dead in night of horror

Police have arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder and he remains in police custody

Nottingham has been left reeling after a devastating series of incidents that left three people dead and three more in hospital.

Two 19-year-old students and a man in his 50s were stabbed to death in the early hours of Tuesday before the attacker allegedly stole the older victim’s van and attempted to run over three people in Nottingham, a police chief has said.

A 31-year-old man was tasered and arrested on suspicion of murder following the deadly rampage and remains in custody.

A police cordon surrounds a white van with a shattered windscreen, after a 'major incident' in Nottingham (AFP/Images)

Below we look at everything we know about the tragic incident so far.

Have you been affected by this story? If so email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk

What do we know about what happened?

Police were called to Ilkeston Road in Nottingham city centre just after 4am on Tuesday where two people were found dead in the street.

Officers were then called to another incident in Milton Street where police say a van had attempted to run over three people. The victims are currently being treated in hospital, with one in a critical condition. A man was also found dead in Magdala Road.

The force says it is keeping an open mind over the motive for the attacks. Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell said the force is working with counter-terrorism investigators to establish what happened.

Police activity continued in various locations along Ilkeston Road on Tuesday, with parts of the street cordoned off and armed officers deployed.

A terraced property was also under police guard, with staff at a neighbouring hairdresser saying it had been raided last year.

Police forensics officers on Ilkeston Road after three people were killed in Nottingham city centre (PA)

What do we know about the victims?

Two teenagers who were among the three victims killed have been named.

Grace Kumar and Barnaby Webber were both 19 years-old and both keen sportspeople. Both were stabbed to death during Tuesday’s deadly rampage.

England Hockey said they were “deeply saddened” at the news of Ms Kumar’s death.

In a short statement on Twitter, they said: “Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and our thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, teammates and the whole hockey community at this time.”

Barnaby Webber and Grace Kumar were both killed in the tragedy (Supplied)

In a statement, Mr Webber’s family said: “Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son.

“Barnaby Philip John Webber was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

“At 19 he was just at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man.

“As parents we are enormously proud of everything he achieved and all the plans he had made.”

A man in his 50s who was later found fatally knifed in Magdala Road has yet to be named. The three people who were injured in the attacks have yet to be identified.

What have witnesses said?

Witnesses have given harrowing accounts of victims being stabbed and run over by a van.

One told the BBC he saw a young man and young woman being stabbed in Ilkeston Road, close to the junction with Bright Street.

The man, who did not give his name, said he heard “awful, blood-curdling screams” and looked out of his window to see a “black guy dressed all in black with a hood and rucksack grappling with some people”.

He told the broadcaster: “She was screaming: ‘Help!’ I just wish I’d shouted something out of the window to unnerve the assailant.

“I saw him stab the lad first and then the woman. It was repeated stabbing – four or five times. The lad collapsed in the middle of the road.

“The girl stumbled towards a house and didn’t move. The next minute she had disappeared down the side of a house, and that’s where they found her.

“I’d say it all happened within five or six minutes. The attacker then just walked off up Ilkeston Road towards town, as calm as anything.”

Armed police on the scene as investigations into what happened continue (PA)

Witnesses in Bentinck Road described the suspect struggling as officers dragged him out of a white van.

Student Demi Ojolow, who lives in the road, said: “I just saw the police shouting at him to get out of the car and get on the floor.

“And they dragged him out of the car and he just fell on the floor. He was still pretty wrestling at the point.

“They dragged him away and that was about it.”

Is Nottingham city centre closed?

Road closures in place on Tuesday covered a wide area of the city centre, including Ilkeston Road, Milton Street, Maples Street and Woodborough Road, from the junction with Magdala Road into the city, Magdala Road and Maid Marian Way at the junction of Parliament Street. Major roads in the city centre are set to remain closed as the police investigation continues.

The tram network has also been disrupted, with “most” services suspended on the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) as the police investigation continued.

Both Nottingham Fire and Rescue and East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed they were also dealing with the aftermath of the attacks.

What have the police said?

Nottinghamshire Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incidents.

“Police were called to Ilkeston Road just after 4am (Tuesday 13 June) after two people had been killed,” a spokesperson said.

“Officers were then called to another incident in Milton Street where a van had attempted to run over three people.

“One man is in hospital in a critical condition while two others are believed to have suffered minor injuries.

“A man was also found dead in Magdala Road shortly afterwards. Police have arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder and he remains in police custody.

“A number of major roads in the city centre will remain closed as a thorough police investigation is underway.

“Currently, police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attacks.

“A team of dedicated detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attacks.”

Cordons have closed off sections of Nottingham city centre (Reuters)

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “This is a tragic series of events which has led to the lives of three innocent people being taken and left another member of the public in a critical condition in hospital.

“My thoughts are with all the families affected by this shocking incident, and we will be working extremely hard to understand exactly what has happened.

“We are at the early stages of the investigation and need to determine the motives behind these attacks and will keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say more.

“We are keeping an open mind as we investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents and are working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing to establish the facts – as we would normally do in these types of circumstances.

“We do have a man in custody who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Currently, we do not believe there is anyone else involved in this incident.

“It is safe to go into the city centre but there are a number of streets that will remain closed including Ilkeston Road, Magdala Street, Milton Street and Maple Street. This is so officers can gather evidence in order to understand what has happened.”

What has the political reaction been?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked the emergency services for their response to the “shocking incident”, adding: “My thoughts are with those injured, and the family and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also expressed her shock at the deaths, and said she is receiving regular updates from Nottinghamshire Police.

Emmanuel Macron has said France “shares the grief” with Britain after Tuesday’s attack in Nottingham and “stand by their side”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the family and friends of those who had died and were injured in Nottingham. He added, “Thank you to the police and the emergency services as they respond to this terrible incident.”