According to police, several people were killed in a suspected violent attack in the southern English city of Plymouth. “There have been some fatalities and several other injuries are being treated on the spot,” wrote the Devon and Cornwall Police in a statement. It was said that a “serious incident involving firearms” had been called in the early evening.
However, the police assumed they had the situation under control by now. The affected area in the Keyham district had been cordoned off and should be avoided. According to the broadcaster Sky News an attacker involved is said to have been shot.
Police and rescue workers were on duty with a large number of forces in the early evening. Initially, no details were known about the exact number of victims or the background to the offenses. A BBC reporter on site reported countless police vehicles and several helicopters.
The British Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed her condolences to those affected by the alleged acts of violence and called on the population to remain calm. “The Plymouth incident is shocking and my thoughts are with those affected,” Patel wrote on Twitter. She is in contact with the responsible police commissioner.
Local MPs also called on residents to stay in their homes, follow the instructions of the police and not share pictures or speculation on social media. Conservative MP Johnny Mercer wrote that the incident was unrelated to terrorism. Labor MP Luke Pollard tweeted that he was awaiting confirmation of how many victims there were in the incident. “But this looks like a very sad day for our city and our community.”