Police arrest man on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after spate of stabbings around Birmingham’s Gay Village
Police forensics officers gather evidence on Hurst Walk, inside a cordon at Hurst Street, following a major stabbing incident in the centre of Birmingham, (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty)
After the horrific Birmingham stabbings, police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
The man, 27, was arrested at an address in Selly Oak, Birmingham, at around 4am on Monday morning (September 7) after police worked through the night to track the suspect down, following a spate of stabbings in and near the city’s Gay Village Sunday morning (September 6).
The Birmingham suspect remains in police custody in connection with the attacks, which left a 23-year-old man dead. Two others, a man and a woman aged 19 and 32, suffered serious injuries in the attack and remain in hospital in critical condition.
Five other people, aged between 23 and 33, escaped with non life-threatening injuries.
West Midlands Police declared a major incident following a spate of stabbings in the Gay Village, Birmingham.
The arrest comes after West Midlands Police declared a major incident in the early hours of Sunday morning following reports of multiple stabbings in the city.
The first stabbing occurred at Constitution Hill at 12.30am on Sunday morning, before the killer moved south, attacking people at random.
Others were stabbed on Livery Street and Irving Street, before the killer attacked his last victim on Hurst Street, the centre of Birmingham’s Gay Village, at around 2.20am.
None of the victims have been named, and it is not yet known if any of those stabbed identified as LGBT+.
We still need to speak to any witnesses who saw what happened who’ve not yet spoken to us, or anyone who may have video footage of photos of the incidents or the attacker.
Law enforcement authorities said there was no evidence the stabbings were motivated by hatred of a protected class, according to BBC News.
They also said the stabbings did not appear to be related to terrorism, gang violence or disorder.
Parts of Birmingham city remained sealed off on Monday morning (September 7) while police continued their investigation.
Investigating officers found a knife in a drain in the city, but Birmingham Police commander, chief superintendent Steve Graham, said it was “way too early” to determine if it was connected to the stabbings.
Police are appealing to the public for information.
The chief superintendent said officers had worked into the early hours on Monday morning to track down the Birmingham stabbings suspect.
“We issued CCTV footage of the suspect and had a strong response from the public. I’d like to thank everyone who shared our appeal and who provided information to the investigation.
“One line of enquiry ultimately led us to an address in the Selly Oak area this morning where a man was arrested.
“Clearly this is a crucial development but our investigation continues. We still need to speak to any witnesses who saw what happened who’ve not yet spoken to us, or anyone who may have video footage of photos of the incidents or the attacker.”
Police are appealing to anyone who has information on the attacks to contact their hotline on 0800 056 0944. Alternatively, people can upload videos and photos from the night through a dedicated web page set up to aid the investigation.
