Man killed in Finsbury Park terrorist attack died from ‘multiple injuries,’ post-mortem shows
Makram Ali, the man who died at the scene of the Finsbury Park terrorist attack in the early hours of Monday morning, had suffered multiple injuries, a preliminary post-mortem examination revealed.
The 51-year-old was already on the ground receiving first aid after collapsing on Seven Sisters Road when a van plowed into the group around him, in what police are treating as a terrorist attack targeting Muslims.
Police suspect the attacker was Darren Osborne, 47.
Ali had collapsed after his weak leg failed him. He was killed by the impact and pronounced dead at the scene at 1:04am local time. Eleven others were injured.
Of the four still in hospital, two remain in critical condition.
Osborne remains in custody on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism offenses.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick met with the victim’s family, who said in a statement that Ali was a “peace-loving and gentle person who had no enemies.”
Ali, originally from Bangladesh and who moved to the UK at the age of 10, regularly attended the mosque in Finsbury Park.
His family said he was “sitting up and expressing a wish to return home” when the van, driven from Cardiff on Sunday, rammed into the crowd.
In a statement, the family said they were “devastated” by their loss, but stressed that Ali, who is a father of four daughters and two sons and a grandfather of three, would not have sought “retaliation.”
“Our father was a quiet gentle man, he didn’t get involved in political or social discussion, he instead took comfort and enjoyment spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren and he was always ready to make a funny joke when you least expected,” the family said in a statement on Thursday.
“We as a family have always believed that the actions of one person cannot be a reflection of a whole people and I have no doubt that our father would not wish for there to be any retaliation or recriminations and would urge people to remain calm and to pray for peace in these difficult times.”
The Metropolitan Police said its officers have studied more than 80 hours of CCTV footage, talked to 28 witnesses, collected 33 digital devices from addresses in Wales and attended 140 locations in their investigation. They hope to understand how the attacker came to hold extremist views.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said he is very “grateful” to those who have already provided information on the incident, but stressed they “need more people to come forward and tell us what they saw and what they know about the driver of this van.”
