UK terror attack leaves four dead
London’s worst terror attack in more than a decade left four people dead, including the assailant and the police officer he stabbed, and at least 20 others injured.
The attack shut down Parliament, leaving hundreds of legislators and workers in lock down for several hours.
Prime Minister Theresa May was in the lobby of the House of Commons before she was whisked to safety. She was to chair an emergency security meeting last night and had yet to make a public statement at the time of publication.
A car crashed into a fence outside Parliament after running down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.
A man armed with a knife then ran through the gate and through security, assaulted a policeman and was shot.
Among the fatalities were two people on the bridge. Three French schoolchildren were among those hurt.
THIS IS A DAY WE PLANNED FOR BUT HOPED WOULD NEVER HAPPEN, SADLY IT’S NOW A REALITY
“This is a day we planned for but hoped would never happen, sadly it’s now a reality,” Mark Rowley, national head of counter-terrorism policing, told reporters. “We will continue to do all we can to protect the people of London.”
World leaders condemned the attack on Wednesday unanimously. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany stood by Britain “firmly and resolutely“.
French President Francois Hollande sent a message of “solidarity and support” for Britons and May.
Lights on the Eiffel Tower were due to be switched off at midnight on Wednesday in solidarity with those killed and injured in the terror attack.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed his “condolences to the victims and their families”, adding: “The American people send their thoughts and prayers to the people of UK.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “Our thoughts are with the victims of today’s attack in London and their families.
Canadians remain united with the people of the UK.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the attack left him “highly emotional“. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, expressed the country’s condolences.
Sterling fell to the day’s low of $1.2424 before recovering ground to trade little changed against the dollar.
The attack also added to nerves and sent at least a few investors towards safe havens, director of global product and market strategy at Cambridge Global Payments in Toronto Karl Schamotta said.