School stabbing suspect is former pupil, Met says
11 minutes agoAurelia FosterLondon
BBCA boy who was arrested after two boys were stabbed at a school in north-west London was a former pupil, the Met Police have said.
The force said the 13-year-old boy went to Kingsbury High School in Brent on Tuesday, where he entered a first-floor classroom. As he opened the door, he sprayed a pupil with a non-noxious substance before stabbing a 13-year-old.
On the way out of the school, he stabbed a 12-year-old. Both boys are in hospital in a stable condition.
The boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he was found at a mosque in the NW10 area. The Met said it did not believe the suspect had a connection to the mosque and think it was coincidental that he was in the area.
BBC London understands that investigating officers believe the suspect’s motivation may have been related to a personal grievance rather than an ideological motivation.
Det Ch Sup Helen Flanagan, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the boy had arrived at the school at 12:30 GMT.
Officers were called to the scene at 12:39 and arrived 13 minutes’ later.
The Met said the boy fled the school immediately after the attacks.
He was arrested when officers received reports of a child in distress at a mosque, and a knife was also seized.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the stabbing as an “appalling attack” and said his thoughts were with the two children, and all of those affected.
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford said it was understood that some had heard the attacker saying words like “Allahu Akbar” – or similar – meaning “God is greatest” in Arabic, during the incident.
BBC London understands the suspect was wearing school uniform.
Flanagan said officers were conducting a “fast-paced investigation” and were continuing to make inquiries into the circumstances.
Police are understood to be examining the suspect’s devices and going through dozens of witness accounts.
PA MediaSimon Theodorou, a parent of a child at the school, told the Telegraph the attacker “managed to get his way in by climbing over a wall”.
He also claimed one of the victims “pulled the fire alarm to get help”, praising the boy as “a hero”.
The head teacher of the school, Alex Thomas, said the incident was “a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community”, in a letter to parents and carers.
“We are working closely with the authorities and I will provide further updates as soon as I am able to share confirmed information. Please keep the students and their families in your thoughts.”
He added the Lower School would be closed on Wednesday and students should stay at home, but the Upper School would be open for students in Years 10-13.
‘They’re children’
Reporting from the scene on Wednesday morning, BBC Radio London journalist Gem O’Reilly said pupils arriving at the school said they felt nervous and distressed following the attacks.
Other pupils have said they were scared to walk to school.
Local man Moeen, a former pupil, told the BBC: “I feel very sad for them and their family…the age of 13 is just for playing…they’re children”.
He said local people had been left feeling “unsafe”.
Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, said: “The whole school community – the parents, the wider community – are deeply shocked by this.
“There has been a lot of support given to the school, obviously that will have to be ongoing.”
She added: “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to think they are sending their child to school and something may well happen to them.”
Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt thanked the emergency services and school staff for their “swift” response.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has urged anyone with information to contact the police, adding: “There is no honour in staying silent.”
In 2023, Sir Sadiq said metal wand detectors would be available for schools in order to help protect pupils from knife crime.
On Wednesday, Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, told BBC Breakfast installing mandatory knife arches – a walk‑through metal detector – was not something the government was looking into.
“But we are taking action on knife violence and in a whole range of ways, in terms of training, in terms of investment, in terms of support for young people,” she added.
Kingsbury High School is an academy school serving children aged 11 to 18, with both upper and lower sites.
Alumni include singer George Michael, jazz musician Courtney Pine, Floyd Steadman – the first black captain of the Saracens rugby team – and writer Ekow Eshun.
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