Police praised the ‘heroic’ bravery of a worker who was critically injured while saving others. The media identified the train driver as a Gulf War veteran.
A 32-year-old British man has appeared in court after being charged with attempted murder in a mass stabbing attack on a train in the UK that resulted in 11 people being injured.
Anthony Williams was charged on Monday with 10 counts of attempted murder, one of actual bodily harm, and one of possession of a bladed article in the Saturday evening attack that happened on a train traveling through the east of England.
Williams is further charged with attempted murder in a separate incident that took place at Pontoon Dock transit station in London earlier the same day.
He allegedly used a “large kitchen knife” in both attacks, according to court documents.
Other Possible Offenses
Cambridgeshire Constabulary, investigating separately from the British Transport Police, said detectives are examining whether Williams was involved in 3 incidents in Peterborough—a Friday evening stabbing in which a 14-year-old boy received minor injuries, and two reports of a man with a knife at a barber shop on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told Times Radio that the suspect was not known to counterterrorism police or to the intelligence services, but would not say whether he had contact with mental health services.
Police initially arrested a second man in relation to the attack, but later released him without charge, and are confident they will not be looking for anyone else in connection with the attack. They have not yet disclosed a possible motive.
Five injured people have been discharged from the hospital, and one remains in a life-threatening condition. The most seriously wounded victim is a member of railway staff who tried to stop the attacker, with his condition described as “critical but stable.”
“This casualty is a member of LNER [London North Eastern Railway] staff who was on the train at the time and tried to stop the attacker,“ British Transport Police said. ”Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives.”
