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The shocking scenes unfolded at around 5pm on Monday in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge, with police and ambulance responding to reports three people had been stabbed. Three victims were treated at the scene. The 49-year-old died at the scene, while his dog was seen running around nearby. A second man, 45, was taken to hospital with “life-changing” injuries. A 14-year-old boy was also taken to hospital with stab wounds but his injuries were confirmed to be neither life-threatening nor life-changing, the Metropolitan Police said. The suspect, a 22-year-old Afghan national, was arrested at the scene after being tasered by police. He was taken to hospital as a precaution but has since been taken into custody. The Home Office has confirmed the man entered the UK illegally via lorry in 2020 and was granted asylum and leave to remain in 2022. “We are receiving regular updates from the Metropolitan Police,” a spokesperson said. “The priority must now be for the police to investigate so those responsible can be brought to justice.” Police said the attack was not being treated as terrorism, with investigators working to establish any relationship between the suspect and the three victims. Chief Superintendent Jill Horsfall, who leads policing in Uxbridge, said it was a “shocking and senseless act of violence”. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time,” she said. “The incident will have understandably caused concern to the local community, I have deployed multiple officers to the local area, they will be here throughout the week to provide reassurance while detectives work intensely to piece together the circumstances.” Anyone who witnessed or has information about the incident has been urged to contact police. Ms Horsfall said there would be a crime scene and a heavy police presence in the area over coming days. In a subsequent statement on Tuesday, Ms Horsfall said she was aware of footage circulating online “that relates to yesterday’s incident”. The horrific video shows the victim laying on the ground as he’s repeatedly stabbed. “I would urge people to stop circulating this on social media,” Ms Horsfall said. “In order to avoid speculation and further misinformation, we can confirm that the suspect lived in a private residential address. Our priority is securing justice for the man who sadly died and the others who were injured during this incident. Sharing this footage could impede future court proceedings and cause further distress to those directly impacted by these events, as well as their loved ones. Please be considerate with what you are sharing online, and keep up to date with our news website for any accurate updates on this incident.” A second video circulating on social media shows officers chasing the knifeman down a residential road moments after the horror. A policeman could be heard shouting “drop the knife, get on the floor” as terrified residents watched the shocking scene unfold from their windows. Cops then used a taser as they arrested the man, who was seen lying on the floor as more officers arrived. One witness said the victim of the stabbing was “very well known” around the area, The Daily Mail reported. They said that a knifeman was “chasing a man and a boy around the road and a local man who was with his dog tried to stop it” before he was allegedly stabbed. “He’s a lovely guy, very gentle and peaceful,” another local told the outlet. “He was just trying to help and it’s ended up costing him his life.” The man’s family is being supported by specially trained officers, police said. Other locals claimed to have witnessed an altercation between the injured man and the suspected knifeman after he came out of a house of multiple occupancy. It was then claimed by witnesses that the alleged knifeman stabbed a “dog walker” who tried to intervene multiple times, reports the Standard. “I have got a family member who lives at the top of this road where the incident happened,” Ben James, 28, told the outlet. “Screaming and shouting – that’s all she heard. As I came here there were piles of blood. I saw two people on the floor and there was a tent up as well. The guy he has had an altercation with has been stabbed and a dog walker has walked past with his dog – and he’s been stabbed 15 times I heard.” A neighbour in Uxbridge claimed the man who died was a bin man, describing him as “the last person on Earth that you would think somebody would go for”. “He’s a bin man,” she told the BBC. “I’ve been here two years and would see him walk past the window. I still can’t get over it. If he was five or 10 minutes later taking the dog out would the same thing have happened?” She added she had taken flowers and a box of shortbread over to his wife and said “he was just doing the normal dog walk that he does every day”. Another woman, who did not want to share her name, told the BBC the suspect “chased after two of my son’s friends but they managed to escape”. “It’s horrendous and just on our doorstep,” she said. “It’s frightening — my daughter couldn’t sleep last night because she thought the man was going to come and attack her.” Robin Stevens, 50, who lives on the other side of Midhurst Gardens, told the BBC he heard a lot of sirens on Monday evening and he found out what happened on Tuesday morning. He said he was “shocked”, adding, “I grew up on this street, I’ve lived on this street for 50 years and I’ve always known it to be quite a family orientated area.” — with The Sun
