A Libyan refugee has been identified by authorities as the suspect responsible for a terrorist attack that took place on Saturday in the United Kingdom.
Khairi Saadallah, 25, has been arrested for a knife attack that left three people dead and three others injured in Reading. The attack took place in Forbury Gardens, Reading’s city center, and has been classified as a terrorist attack by British officials.
According to witnesses of the attack, the man responsible “shouted unintelligible words” prior to using a 5-inch knife to carry out the attack. Police believe the man acted alone and that the attack was not at all connected to a Black Lives Matter event that had taken place in Reading earlier in the day.
Saadallah has a criminal record and was on the radar of MI5, the British intelligence service, according to the BBC. MI5 received information that Saadallah intended to travel abroad to carry out terrorist attacks. The intelligence organization investigated the information about Saadallah but identified no immediate risk.
Saadallah spent time in prison in the U.K. for a minor infraction that was not connected to terrorism. According to a report from the Telegraph, mental health is believed to be a “major factor” in the attack.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “appalled and sickened” by the attack. The Thames Valley Police Department has been praised for their quick response.
“There can be no doubt that the swift response of our Thames Valley Police colleagues saved further harm from being caused and potentially more lives from being lost,” said Thames Valley Police Federation Chairman Craig O’Leary.
James Furlong, a top history teacher at Holt School in Wokingham, is the only victim who has been identified. In a statement, the school wrote, “[Furlong] truly inspired everyone he taught.”
