Police have arrested the 48-year-old driver of the van who ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians in north London, next to a Muslim center and close to a mosque. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and 10 people were injured, with eight of them being taken to the hospital.
READ MORE: Van mows down pedestrians near London mosque, police dealing with ‘major incident’
19 June 2017
Police have named the Finsbury Park mosque terrorist as Darren Osborne, a 47-year-old father of four, from Cardiff, Wales.
His family are thought to be based in Weston-super-Mare.
Speaking to the Guardian, neighbor Dave Ashford, 52, said: “Someone called me and said it was him and I said ‘It can’t be’. Then I saw the picture on the news and said, it’s him.’”
Pauline Tibbs, 48, said: “The police have been back and forwarth here all day. It’s a terrible shock. I’ve seen him walking in the street but never spoken to him. He seemed normal enough. He has lived here a couple of years and kept himself to himself.”
The man arrested over the Finsbury Park attack is now being held on suspicion of terrorism offences, Scotland Yard has said.
He was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was subsequently further arrested for the “commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder.”
Counter-terrorism police are appealing for witnesses following the attack on Seven Sisters Road in north London.
Police say they believe the suspect acted alone “but we are of course investigating all the circumstances leading up to the attack.”
Searches are being carried out at a residential address in the Cardiff area, police said.
There is a discrepancy in the age of the man arrested. The police previously said he was 48 years old and have now corrected that to 47.
Neither the identity of the man or his motives have been revealed.
A video that emerged from Finsbury Park on Monday morning shows a white man near a police van.
Eyewitness Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi, who got the suspect on the ground and held him, told BuzzFeed the man “was screaming ‘I’m gonna kill all Muslims.’”
The National Front in Wales has denied any connection with the Finsbury Park terrorist. The attacker hired the van he used to plough through Muslim worshippers from a company in Pontyclun in south Wales.
The Welsh regional organizer of the far right group, Adam Lloyd, told the Guardian the man in question is not known to them.
Lloyd said: “Although we will never condone or accept this kind of violent attacks here in SWNF, anyone with a right mind can see this is not a terrorist attack but a revenge attack.”
He added: “Incidents like this are only going to increase as two different cultures clash thanks to the failed multicultural and multiracial experiment forced on us by successive corrupt governments.”
East London mosque was evacuated on Monday afternoon amid reports of a suspicious package and a bomb threat. It has now been given the all clear after police investigated.
Mohammed Mahmoud, who is Imam at the Muslim Welfare Centre, has described how he protected the attacker from an angry mob after he was pinned down at the scene of the terrorist attack.
Speaking to reporters, Mahmoud said he had just finished prayers when a “panicked” man ran in to say what was happening outside. He arrived at the scene just minutes after the attack and found the assailant on the ground, he said.
“[The attacker] had been restrained by three people. We found a group of people quickly started to collect around the assailant. And some tried to hit him, either kicks or punches.
“By God’s grace we managed to surround him and to protect him from any harm. We stopped all forms of attack and abuse towards him that were coming from every angle.
“A police van drove past so we flagged them down, we told them the situation. There’s a man, he’s restrained. He mowed down a group of people and there’s a mob attempting to hurt him.”
Mahmoud added: “[The attacker] seemed calmed. I just heard he said ‘I did my bit.’ It is a tragic and barbaric terrorist attack.”
He said his community is a “calm community, not known for their violence. Our mosques are incredibly peaceful. I can assure you we will do our utmost to calm down ill intentions.”
Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn experienced strikingly different receptions when they visited Finsbury earlier.
The Tory PM was heckled as she left the local mosque, where she had been visiting following last night’s attack.
One man was heard shouting “how come you were so quick today?” - an apparent reference to her failure to immediately visit victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Another man yelled: “Mrs May, have you got a personal taxi today?”
By contrast, Corbyn, who is the local MP, was greeted with cheers as he entered the mosque.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has attended afternoon prayers at Finsbury Park Mosque in solidarity with the local Muslim community.
In a statement, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said:
“This was quite clearly an attack on Muslims. We treat this as a terrorist attack, and we in the Met are as shocked as anybody in this local community or across the country at what has happened.”
She added: “We take all forms of hate crime and violent extremism incredibly seriously, and wherever we can we seek to prevent attacks.”
Dick said police officers responded to the terrorist attack at Finsbury Park within a minute.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Londoners will see an increased number of visible officers around mosques in the coming week. He said the terrorist attack at Finsbury Park was clearly an “attack on Muslims.”
He urged anyone who experiences hate crime to report it to police.
“There will be a zero tolerance policy towards hate crime. Please report it to police. Do not think it is too trivial.”
He added: “These have been a terrible few weeks for London, unprecedented in recent times.”
Khan also urged the government not to cut police funding in the capital.
US President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, has tweeted her “love and prayers” to the victims of the Finsbury Park attack. She added: “We must stand united against hatred and extremism in all its ugly forms.”
Her father has not yet commented on the suspected terrorist attack.
The attacker was not known to security services, security minister Ben Wallace told Sky News.
“This man was not known to the authorities in the space of extremism or far right extremism and he clearly took advantage of a simple weapon, a vehicle, to make an attack on people going about their business.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has arrived at Finsbury Park mosque to pay her respects following last night's attack.
London Ambulance has confirmed eight people were taken to three London hospitals after being injured in the attack.
Others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, it said in an update.
It added that the first of 60 paramedics arrived on scene within 14 minutes of the first emergency call.
In a tweet, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the attack as “dreadful news again from London.” She said her thoughts are with those affected.
She later tweeted: “Let us stand firmly against terrorists who attack Muslims as we do against those claiming to act in the name of Islam.”
The Scottish government’s resilience committee is due to meet to consider any potential implications for Scotland.
A spokesperson told the BBC: “Our thoughts are with everyone involved in the incident in North London. The First Minister and ministers are being kept updated on developments.”
Finsbury Park tube staff have shared a defiant message in support of victims of the attack.
A handwritten sign at the station reads: “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. Stick together. All of us.”
Pontyclun Van Hire, the company the alleged attacker is thought to have hired the vehicle from, said in a statement to Sky News: “We at Pontyclun Van Hire are shocked and saddened by the incident that took place at Finsbury Park last night.
“We are cooperating fully with the Metropolitan Police Investigation and our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this cowardly attack.
“We will not be making any further statement because of the ongoing police investigation but will continue to assist the police in any way we can.”
Former far-right English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been criticised after accusing the Finsbury Park mosque of “creating terrorists.”
He tweeted just an hour after the attack: “Before people start aiming hate or threats at me about this revenge attack at your mosque tonight, I’ve warned for yrs what u will create.”
He went on to claim the mosque has a “long history” of “promoting hate and segregation.”
In response, one person tweeted: “If you spread hatred you are directly responsible for hatred spreading. So yes Tommy Robinson and his supporters are part of the problem.”
Another wrote: “Sorry but what on earth does this have to do with the fact innocent lives were lost? Are you trying to justify these acts?”
Mohammed Kozbar, chairman of Finsbury Park mosque, has issued a statement, standing alongside Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other religious leaders.
“Last Saturday, as part of the Jo Cox foundation … members of the differing faith communities gathered on Seven Sisters Road. We met to remember [murdered Labour MP] Jo Cox, to honor and celebrate her affirmation that we all have more in common than things that differentiate us.
“We met to celebrate our friendship and our cooperation for the good of our neighborhood.
“Less than 48 hours later, the same area experienced a terrorist attack aimed at killing Muslims returning home.”
He added: “An attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths and communities. Those who try to divide us and who aim to spread fear, hatred and division will not succeed.
“The communities at Finsbury Park Mosque and Muslim Welfare House are a valued part of the Islington Faith Forum.
“These communities are places of welcome. We pray, especially for the leaders of these two communities. May we and they continue to stand together in these challenging times.”
Tory Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has been at the scene of the suspected terrorist attack to express the government’s solidarity with the Muslim community.
Speaking to BBC News, he said: “I’m here to reassure first the Muslim community and Muslims across Britain that we will always, as a government, have a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime.
“Clearly, what we have seen and what we know already, this is a hate crime attack.”
Javid was seen comforting a woman while visiting Finsbury Park. The woman, called Rhonda, spoke to Sky News afterwards, and said the community is “scared.”
“That's not just as a Muslim community, but as a community, we fear for our lives. I fear for my son, as a mother, to even send him to school. This is what it's come to.
“I don’t feel that there's any kind of compassion coming our way.”
Mohammed Kozbar, chairman of Finsbury Park mosque, says communities need to come together and condemn last night's terror attack.
White supremacists are celebrating the attack, according to the US extremist monitoring group Site.
Some have taken to twitter to show their support for the terrorist attack. One person tweeted: “Just google Finsbury mosque and see what they flaunt around. I’m no terrorist. I’m just glad someone did something.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has given a statement outside Downing Street about the Finsbury Park attack after chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Monday morning.
She said the 48-year-old white man, who drove a van into a group of people leaving evening prayers at a mosque, acted alone.
May said it was “an attack that once again targeted the ordinary and innocent going about their daily lives.” She added “this kind of hatred and evil will never succeed.”
Extra police resources have already been deployed to reassure communities and security needs of mosques will continue to be assessed.
“This was an attack on Muslims near their place of worship. And like all terrorism, in whatever form, shares the same fundamental goal. It seeks to break us apart … we will not let this happen.”
She added: “This morning we have seen a sickening attempt to destroy those freedoms … it is a reminder that terrorism, extremism and hatred take many forms. And our determination to tackle them must be the same, whoever is responsible.”
May said there has been “far too much tolerance of extremism.”
Witnesses of the suspected terrorist attack in Finsbury Park told RT the van driver “intentionally tried to crush people” as they exited a mosque after Ramadan evening prayers.
As soon as evening prayers finished, a man drove into the bus lane and turned onto the sidewalk, hitting passersby, a witness told RT.
“He must have done it on purpose,” the man added.
“When I go to the prayers I am not going to walk down the road. That is something that scares me.”
Another man told RT two of his cousins were injured in the incident.
“My elder brother told me there is a guy driving the van and intentionally try to crush people while they were having their coffee.
“Two of my cousins got injured seriously and they are being taken to hospital. I tried to speak with the police to know about their situation. The police could not confirm … if they … passed away or [had] been taken to hospital.”
Many are using the hashtag #WeStandTogether on Twitter to show their solidarity and defiance following the Finsbury Park attack, which is being treated as a terrorist incident.
Labour leader and local MP Jeremy Corbyn is at the scene of the suspected attack, and also visited the aftermath of the attack after it happened.
He told Sky News: “I live down there on Seven Sisters road, and obviously I was aware of incident very quickly. There was a number of police vehicles and a helicopter overhead. I know the people in Muslim Welfare House and the mosque extremely well, and the community very well.
“I came here last night to talk to the police and the firefighters and ambulance who were here. I have to say the response by all three emergency services was very timely and very quick. And the police managed to arrest the suspect who was driving the man and take him away from the area. And sadly the gentleman who died [his] body was on the ground and was covered respectfully by a tent so that forensic examination could take place.”
Tory Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has also been filmed at the scene entering the police cordon with officers.
Flowers and tributes are being laid at the scene for victims of a suspected terrorist attack at Finsbury Park, which left one person dead and 10 injured. Two people are said to be in a very serious condition in hospital.
An imam, Mohammed Mahmoud, is said to have guarded the van driver who mowed down Muslim worshippers until the police arrived, telling a crowd: “Do not touch him,” PA reports.
Toufik Kacimi, chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, said his “bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation after the incident and prevented further injuries and loss of life.”
Prime Minister Theresa May is due to chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Monday morning following a suspected terrorist attack outside Finsbury Park Mosque.
She will give a statement after the meeting.
It is the third time in three months that a van has been used by terrorists to drive into and kill pedestrians.
One man has died and 10 have been injured after a van was rammed into Muslim worshippers in a suspected terrorist attack near a mosque.
Eight people are receiving care in four different hospitals across London. Two people are said to be in a serious condition.
The man who died is believed to have been an elderly worshipper who was already receiving first aid from members of the public after collapsing. It is not known if his death was caused by the attack, police said.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, called the attack “abhorrent.”
He wrote on Twitter: “We stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends and pray for the bereaved and injured.”
London police have pleaded for calm and have put more officers on the streets to reassure the public following last night’s attack.
“Extra officers are on duty in the area to help reassure the local community,” Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said, according to AP.
“They will be there for as long as they are needed. Communities will see additional officers patrolling across the city and at Muslim places of worship.”
Police said the 48-year-old man who was driving the van has been arrested and taken to a hospital as a precaution.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. It was not immediately clear why no charge had been made in relation to the one death.
According to the Mirror, the white van used to plough into Muslim worshippers near a mosque belonged to a hire firm in Wales.
The newspaper says the van featured Pontyclun Van Hire logos, phone number and website address, and that police officers were at the company’s offices within hours of the incident.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is also the MP for the area, said in a statement he is “shocked” by the “horrific and cruel attack … which is being treated as an act of terror.”
“I offer my condolences to the family and friends of the man who has died, and our thoughts are with the people who have been injured, their family and friends.”
He added: “I call on everyone to stand together against those who seek to divide us.”
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) has called on police to increase security in mosques.
In a statement, it said politicians should “treat this major incident no less than a terrorist attack.”
“We call on the government to do more to tackle this hateful evil ideology which has spread over these past years and resulted in an increase of islamophobic attacks and division of our society, as well as spreading of hate.”
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told Sky News the incident at Finsbury Park was a “horrific terrorist attack.”
“The attack on Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, in Manchester, the attack last night, all of these are attacks on our shared values of freedom, tolerance and respect. And it’s terrorism, whether it’s inspired by an Islamist narrative or other forms of ‘inspiration.’”
Khan said after the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, there was not a spike in Islamophobic hate crimes, but after the London Bridge attack there was.
“My key message to everyone in London is please report if you are a victim of hate crime.
“The Metropolitan Police have a zero tolerance towards hate crime. Please report this … we will take action.”
Two of the victims sustained serious injuries, Basu says.
The incident “has all the hallmarks of a terrorism incident,” UK counterterrorism police coordinator Neil Basu said in a statement.
He added that all the victims were from the Muslim community.
Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain called the incident a “terror attack on Muslim worshippers.” He tweeted a statement from the Muslim Welfare House, condemning “any act of hate that tries to drive our wonderful community apart” and calling “for calm.”
No other suspects have been announced so far, according to the London Metropolitan Police. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd called the Finsbury Park attack “an appalling incident” in a statement on Monday morning, and called on Londoners to unite in the face of violence.
“We must all continue to stand together, resolute, against all those who try to divide us and spread hate and fear,” Rudd said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement condemning “a horrific terrorist attack on innocent people in Finsbury Park.”
He went on to draw parallels between Sunday night’s attack and the ones that struck Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge, saying that it was “also an assault on all our shared values of tolerance, freedom and respect.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that London police are treating the incident as a “potential terrorist attack.” May added that she has called an emergency meeting for Monday morning.
Counter Terrorism Command has been put in charge of the investigation, according to a statement by police. Police units currently working at the scene are beiing assisted by the armed police, Territorial Support Group and officers dispatched from neighbouring areas.
Police said they have arrested a 48-year-old man, the driver of the van that rammed pedestrians outside the Muslim Welfare House. The suspected attacker was handed over to the officers by “members of the public" and is now in custody. He is to be subjected to a mental health evaluation “in due course."
London Metropolitan Police have confirmed the death of one man at the scene of the attack. Eight people injured in the attack have been transported to hospitals, and another two were provided medical assistance at the scene after suffering “minor injuries,” the police said in a statement.
The Muslim Council of Britain has issued a statement following the Finsbury Park attack, urging the UK authorities to step up security at mosques “as a matter of urgency” in light of “the hugely worrying growth in Islamophobia.”
“Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date,” the council said, adding that, based on eyewitness accounts, the attacker appeared to be “motivated by Islamophobia.”
In a separate Twitter message, the Council clarified that the attack was carried out outside the Muslim Welfare House, located some 300 meters away from the Finsbury Park Mosque.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted he is “totally shocked at the incident at Finsbury Park tonight,” adding that his thoughts are “with those in the community affected by this awful event.”
The London Ambulance Service has issued a statement saying that it sent “a number of ambulance crews, paramedics and specialist teams to the scene,” and dispatched an advance trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance.
People are confused about the incident. Locals are demanding the police give an explanation of the incident.
Ambulances and police cars at the scene of the incident.
Media report that a white van rammed into a crowd outside the Muslim Welfare House, near the Finsbury Park Mosque, as people were leaving after nightly prayers.
Reports about a collision at Seven Sisters Road in north London.