Three people were killed in a knife attack on Saturday evening June 20 in a park in Reading, a city in west London. British police do not hold back the terrorist track and an investigation takes place to determine the causes of this act.

A 25-year-old man from the city was arrested at the scene for murder and taken into police custody. The attack also left three people seriously injured.

Police and rescue workers responded after receiving calls to the effect that several people had been stabbed in Forbury Gardens at around 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. GMT), in the center of this city of 200,000 people, approximately 60 kilometers from the center of the British capital.

"The facts are not currently considered to be of a terrorist nature", however, investigators "keep an open mind as to their motivation" and are working with the support of the anti-terrorist police, chief commissioner Ian Hunter said in a statement .

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed his "thoughts to everyone affected by the appalling events in Reading" in a tweet thanking the emergency services.

No link with the event "Black lives matter"

Witnesses quoted by the PA news agency said that a man had attacked several groups gathered in this park on this sunny evening.

"The park was full, a lot of people were sitting for a drink with friends when someone arrived, suddenly shouted unintelligible words and went towards a group of ten people, trying to attack them with a knife" , told the British agency PA Lawrence Wort, witness of the scene.

The incident occurred near the place where an anti-racist "Black Lives Matter" demonstration took place earlier today, but organizers and the police alike believe there is no connection. The facts occurred three hours after the end of the event, according to the police.

None of the people who took part in the protest were affected, said organizer Nieema Hassan in a video on social media. "We were gone when it happened."

With AFP

The summary of the France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR