A 13-year-old boy faces attempted murder charges after two pupils were stabbed at a London school, with counter-terror police now involved in the investigation.
LONDON: A 13-year-old boy has been charged with two counts of attempted murder following a stabbing at a school in northwest London.
The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, also faces charges of possessing a knife on school premises and spraying insect spray in the face of a third victim.
The two stabbing victims, boys aged 12 and 13, remain in hospital in a stable condition.
The attack occurred at lunchtime on Tuesday at Kingsbury High School.
Due to the circumstances, the investigation has been passed to counter terrorism officers.
Senior police officer Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London stated the incident has not been declared a terrorist act.
“These are extremely serious charges against a young boy, and we continue to support the victims and their families, as well as the wider school community following this shocking incident,” she said.
An investigation involving counter terrorism officers alongside Metropolitan Police detectives is ongoing.
The suspect was arrested in the local area several hours after the incident.
The UK, and London in particular, has long grappled with teenage violence and knife crime.
Violence within schools has been growing nationwide, according to teachers’ unions.
The 13-year-old suspect is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.
