Wasim Hussain, who runs a shop near East Street Market, Walworth, spoke of the heroic actions he witnessed during the horror that unfolded at East Street Market, in Walworth, south London
A brave general public put a knife-wielding attacker down during the terrifying rampage which has left one person dead.
Metropolitan Police confirmed they attended East Street Market, in Walworth, south London to reports of a knife attack. There, they found three injured people, with one dying at the scene. Two other people – a man and a woman – were taken to hospital for treatment. The attacker, a man believed to be in his 60s, was apprehended by members of the force after a brave group challenged the knife-wielding attacker.
Wasim Hussain, who runs a shop nearby, spoke of the heroic actions he witnessed during the horror moment. He said: “They just put him down, and they waited for the police. It was the general public – they work in the market, most of them.” A police cordon is still in place on East Street, preventing access to several market stalls. Enquiries are underway to confirm the deceased’s identity and inform his family.
Commander Peter Stevens said: “Tragically, a man lost his life this morning, and officers are working hard to establish exactly what happened and to provide support to his family. My thoughts and sincere sympathies are with them, and with the other people injured. Our investigation is at a very early stage.
“One man was rapidly arrested by officers responding to the incident. At present, although enquiries are ongoing, nobody else is sought. The incident is not being treated as terrorism. Enquiries continue, led by dedicated detectives from Specialist Crime. I want to thank those people who have already shared their accounts of what they saw with police.”
It comes as fellow members of the public say they fear letting their kids go to school in the wake of the stabbings. Siraj, 46, who lives locally and did not wish to give her surname, had been walking through East Street Market in Walworth at the time of the incident. The 46-year-old saw police cars and ambulances headed toward the scene of the stabbing and followed them, eventually seeing two injured people on the ground in the market.
“It was terrifying,” he said of the incident, adding that he felt lucky the victims were not his own children. Siraj added the area has “always been safe” but the stabbing has him worried and feeling unsure over the safety of his family. He added: “I feel unsafe to send my kids to school now.”
Commander Stevens has since urged those with any information or footage to come forward and get in touch with officers. Israel Tortora, speaking to MyLondon, said they arrived when the cordon was in place when they arrived, and they “couldn’t believe what had happened”. They added: “It’s a very busy market, especially on weekends. I know stabbings happen every day in London but experiencing it close to home is frightening.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed they treated three people at the scene, with two taken to a London major trauma centre. Councillor Natasha Ennin, the Labour councillor for Newington and Cabinet Member for Community Safety said her office is aware of the incident, and called on people not to speculate.
She said in a statement: “We are aware of the incident at East Street market and are supporting the police in their enquiries, staff and local residents. I would strongly urge people not to speculate about what happened and to avoid the area until the police have finished their work on site.”
