A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two pupils were stabbed at a school in northwest London, in an incident now being investigated by counter-terrorism officers.
The attack took place just after midday on Tuesday (10) at Kingsbury High School in Brent, which serves around 2,000 pupils aged 11 to 18. Two boys, aged 12 and 13, were seriously injured after the assault inside the school grounds.
Both victims were treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital — one as a priority patient to a major trauma centre, and the other to a local hospital, the London Ambulance Service confirmed.
Police said the teenage suspect fled the scene but was arrested several hours later. Officers also recovered the suspected weapon used in the attack.
Detective chief superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police told reporters outside the school that the suspect remained in custody for questioning. “We await an update on how they are, though we understand their conditions to be serious,” he said. “At this very early stage, we are keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this attack. However, due to the surrounding circumstances, the investigation is now being led by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London.”
Williams stressed that the incident had not been formally declared a terrorist attack and that police were not seeking anyone else in connection with the case. He praised staff for their support during the emergency response and said extra officers would remain in the area “to offer reassurance to parents and the community”.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “heartbroken to hear about the stabbings”, adding that the Department for Education was “in contact with the school and local council to offer support”. She also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling knife crime and youth violence.
Students were still being interviewed by detectives several hours after the end of the school day. In a letter to parents, Kingsbury High School headteacher Alex Thomas described the incident as “a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community” and confirmed that some areas of the site would be closed on Wednesday. “The situation is under control,” he wrote, while counselling support was being arranged for pupils and staff.
The incident has deepened public concern over rising levels of knife-related violence among young people in Britain. Last week in Wales, a 15-year-old was charged with the attempted murder of a teacher after allegedly attacking her with a kitchen knife.
The government faced renewed pressure to address youth crime since the 2024 Southport attack, when teenager Axel Rudakubana killed three girls and injured ten others at a children’s dance event.
(Agencies)
Netanyahu faces backlash for calling Britain ‘Islamic Republic’