Victims named by the police as Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones.

MET POLICE

Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 25 years old Jack Merrit from Cottenham, Cambridgeshire and 23 Saskia Jones from Stratford-upon-Avon, were victims of London Bridge stabbing attack  last Friday.

Both were involved in the Learning Together program, Jack as coordinator and Sakia as volunteer.

The attacker 28, Usman Khan, was convicted with terror crimes in 2012 and was released in December 2018 on a licence. 

The Police are searching for more evidence in his recent address in Staffordshire. “He was released from prison in December 2018 on licence and clearly, a key line of enquiry now is to establish how he came to carry out this attack.” The Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Three others wounded in a stabbing attack near London Bridge at around 2 pm on Friday. 

The suspect was shot dead by the police at the scene.

The Metropolitan police considered the attack a terrorist incident due to reports that the suspect may have had an explosive device.

 “I am now in a position to confirm that it has been declared a terrorist incident” Neil Basu, head of UK counter-terrorism policing. 

“we believe a device that was strapped to the body of the suspect is a hoax explosive device. Officers continue to carry out meticulous searches in the area to ensure there is no outstanding threat to the public”

The attack started at an event at Fishmonger’s Hall. Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, told a press conference that after 5 minutes from calling the police, officers shot the suspect dead. “we are also working at full-tilt to understand exactly what has happened and whether anyone else was involved” she added. 

Videos spread on the internet showed scenes of a male grabbed and wrestled by passing people and then another man took the knife from the suspect before being shot by the police, on the sidewalk of London Bridge not very far from Fishmongers’ Hall.

The PM Boris Johnson called for an emergency meeting last night. He said there will be enhanced police presence. 

A similar attack happened in 2017 when a three men stabbed pedestrians in Borough Market near London Bridge killing 8 people.

The recent incident comes after Authorities downgraded terror threats level from ‘severe’ to ‘substantial’ earlier this month. A review is run every 6 months to measure terrorism threats.