Police and community support officers gather round a police vehicle near where an incident happened that police say they are investigating as a terrorist attack at Parsons Green subway station in London, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. A bucket wrapped in an insulated bag caught fire on a packed London subway train Friday, sending commuters stampeding in panic at the height of the morning rush hour. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
On Friday, someone attempted to set off an improvised explosive device on the London subway. Thankfully, if failed to completely detonate. In this rather surreal video, you can see passersby calmly discussing the flaming explosive device.
Twenty-nine people were injured, some from the blast but more from the ensuing panic:
Witness Luke Walmsey told Sky News: “There was a stampede, hordes of people just running to me. Within 5 seconds it was apparent it was not a safe place to be.
“As the doors opened people were running down the platform. Down the stairs. But there was a backlog because the barriers wouldn’t open. So there was a big crush, people shouting, ‘has he got a knife, is there an assailant’.
“It was every man for himself when that happened. [There were] no sign of clothing on some [because of burns]. Serious hand and leg injures.
“It was so busy, loads of school children. So many nannies trying to find children.”
Emma Steveton said a pregnant woman was trapped under a pile of people and a child’s face was smashed on the floor.
She told BuzzFeed News: “It was a real stampede and crush.
“There were about three layers of people underneath me. It was awful.
“The most traumatic thing was the weight of these bodies piling onto me and just thinking, ‘this is it, I’m going to die’.”
Girl at #ParsonsGreen saw 8-year-old schoolboy and woman shouting "I'm pregnant!" trampled. Khan insists "Londoners are not intimidated". 🙄
— Jack Montgomery (@JackBMontgomery) September 15, 2017
Shortly after the explosion, ISIS claimed responsibility.
Around 4am, EDT, 9am London time, this report hit the internet
#BREAKING: An 18-year-old man has been arrested in Dover by detectives investigating the #ParsonsGreen attackhttps://t.co/GNZnHO8O71 pic.twitter.com/c9foUvuW9A
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 16, 2017
It seems that an 18 year old man, many of the reports call him a “teenager,” which is technically true but misleading at the same time, who had been identified from CCTV was apprehended in Dover while attempting to flee to France and from there to who knows where. He was charged under the UK’s Terrorism Act.
At that point the story become interesting. A few hours later, all the armed cops in the UK descended upon a previously quiet suburb.
BREAKING: An armed police operation is under way in Sunbury on-Thames in Surrey. #ParsonsGreen pic.twitter.com/BZdQ4dBK8S
— Philip Sime (@PhilipSime) September 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/CHeflinScott/status/909098828850229248
The owners of the home were an elderly couple who had received an honor from Queen Elizabeth for acting as foster parents:
The house raided belongs to 2 carers who were appointed MBEs for services to children and families #ParsonsGreen https://t.co/GNZnHO8O71 pic.twitter.com/qBrDF1J0NM
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 16, 2017
At this point we still do not have any personal information about the suspect beyond his age and sex.
If you’ve followed these incidents you know the pattern. If the suspect is European, you are told that in very short order. If the suspect is a Muslim immigrant, it takes quite a while for that word to be released.
But more word is creeping out.
He was a refugee, according to some neighbors he was from Syria. Two weeks ago, he was arrested by the police on an undisclosed charge and returned to the custody of his “foster parents.” About sixty homes were evacuated and several neighbors have said police found more explosives on the property of the “foster home.”
Still no word from London about the suspect.
Why?
Because crow, fully feathered, is on the menu. Concurrent with the attack, Trump sent out this tweet:
Another attack in London by a loser terrorist.These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017
Scotland Yard and Prime Minister Theresa May were not impressed:
Donald Trump’s tweet claiming that the perpetrator behind an explosion on a Tube train was known to British security services is “speculation”, police say.
“We don’t even know who the suspects are so it’s a bit difficult to say,” a Metropolitan Police source told The Independent. “It’s just speculation.”
Theresa May later rebuked her ally following a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee, saying: “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.”
https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/908687927433220097
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