Conservative UK MP David Amess Dies Following Church Stabbing, 25-Year-Old Somalian Arrested
MP David Amess Killing Was "Terrorist Incident", UK Police Say https://news.met.police.uk/news/counter-terrorism-command-leading-investigat... Update (Saturday 0830 ET): The fatal stabbing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess has formally been declared an "act of terrorism" by the Metropolitan Police (Met). "The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing," Met wrote in a statement released late Friday. "The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism," the statement continued. Met said officers arrived at the scene shortly after 1205 local time Friday and "found a man [Amess] with multiple stab wounds. He was given emergency medical treatment by emergency services, but sadly died at the scene." At first, authorities identified the suspect as a "25-year-old British man" who was arrested on murder suspicion at the scene. Then hours later, British media reported the suspect was of "African appearance" and identified as Somalian. Now the suspect has been labeled a terrorist, and it seems that authorities/media initially downplayed who the suspect was so as not to antagonize specific communities. Authorities believe the Somalian acted alone and are "not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time." BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner noted that the suspect was not on a database of terror suspects. The decision to label the brutal slaying of Amess as an act of terrorism confirms that the killer was motivated to use violence to further his cause.