By Sammie Jones-
A 25-year-old man was arrested after stabbing a 60 year old man in what has been described as a random unprovoked attack. The man was detained by members of the public at the scene on Thursday evening.
The claim the attack was unprovoked is purely speculative at this point as only individuals who have lost their minds commit such crimes without a reason or some history between the victim and the attacker. The facts surrounding the reasons behind the fatal actions of the vicious assailant can only be established once he is interviewed by police.
Police were called just before 8pm to reports of a stabbing and an air ambulance was scrambled to the scene on the corner of Regent’s Street. Officers and paramedics treated the victim there before he was transferred to a central London hospital but later he died.
An eyewitness to the shocking attack has described the moment a ‘hero’ jumped on the attacker and detained him until the police arrived.
The eyewitness, who gave his name on Twitter as James Sexton, described in detail the horrifying incident and the bravery of those who ran to his aid. He said: “Just witnessed a horrific stabbing of a man at Oxford Circus. Broad daylight, no apparent rhyme or reason.
“Kudos to the guy in the basketball jersey who jumped on the attacker and to the others that held him down until the police got there.
“Absolute f****** heroes.”
The Metropolitan Police have launched an appeal for information and have requested to speak to two young men with skateboards who led the intervention against the attacker.
Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “This is being treated as a random and unprovoked assault and we are not actively looking for anybody else in connection with the incident. I would like to reassure the public that his is not believed to be linked to terrorism.
“It is clear that this area of Oxford Circus was very busy at the time of the attack. Members of the public intervened to detain the suspect and I hope to trace and speak to them, to secure their accounts and offer support.
Whatever the motives of the 25 year old who committed this atrocious crime, it is quite clear he must be blocked away for a very long time. Stabbing an elderly man like that in the full glare of the public was most insane, making it more than likely the murderer suffers from serious mental health issues.
Scotland yard has not released the identity of the attacker, but is expected to do so within the next 24 hours. There is also much public interest in confirming the reasons the youngster sought out to publicly kill this elderly man, knowing fully well he would be the subject of an immediate murder investigation.