British lawmaker David Amess stabbed to death in terrorist attack
- The male assailant, who has since been arrested, knifed the politician repeatedly during a meeting with constituents
- The Metropolitan Police said early investigation revealed a ‘potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism’
British lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in an Essex church on Friday by an assailant who lunged at him as he met voters, in what police said was a terrorist attack.
The Metropolitan Police, whose counterterrorism unit are leading the investigation of the incident, said in a statement early on Saturday that they declared the fatal stabbing as a terrorist incident.
The early investigation has revealed a “potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism,” the police added.
A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, and detectives said specialist counterterrorism officers were leading the initial investigation.
“As part of the investigation, officers are currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing,” the police said, adding that it is believed that the suspect in custody acted alone.
