The man suspected of carrying out the terrorist knife attack in Golders Green is a 45-year-old British citizen of Somali origin who was previously referred to the Government’s Prevent counter-extremism programme, Britannia Daily understands.
The suspect was born in Somalia and came to the United Kingdom legally as a child in the early 1990s, subsequently becoming a British national. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley confirmed he had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.”
Following his arrest at the scene on Wednesday morning, the suspect was taken to hospital for brief treatment before being transferred to police custody, where he remains. He is being held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, which allows authorities to detain him for up to 96 hours subject to magistrate approval, though it is unclear whether the full period will be required.
Officers are currently searching an address in south-east London in connection with the investigation.
The revelation that the suspect had previously been flagged to Prevent raises serious questions about whether sufficient action was taken in response to concerns raised about him prior to the attack. The programme, designed to identify and divert individuals at risk of radicalisation, was clearly aware of the suspect’s existence — yet he was nonetheless able to carry out what police have formally declared a terrorist incident.
Two Jewish men — Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76 — were stabbed in the attack on Highfield Avenue in Golders Green shortly after 11am on Wednesday, both having attended morning prayer at a local synagogue beforehand. Both remain in hospital in a stable condition.
The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing. The Met has said it is not linking the attack to the series of previous arson attacks on Jewish sites in north London, and believes the suspect acted alone.
