A machete-wielding attacker and his gun-toting sidekick killed a man in the streets of London on Wednesday, and police are regarding the pair – whom they subsequently shot – as potential terrorists.
The prime minister called the incident “truly shocking,” and said police are investigating it as a terrorist attack, BBC reported. Witnesses say they saw a man walking down Woolwich Street, when he was attacked by two individuals. They also said they heard at least one of the attackers scream ’Allahu Akbar,” meaning God is great, during the course of the attack, BBC reported.
A local police officer said the man who was killed was a soldier at Woolwich barracks, various media reported.
Police fired at the two suspects, who were subsequently taken to the hospital – one by helicopter, one by ambulance. One remains in critical condition, BBC reported.
The Associated Press reported that the attackers were out of control.
“These two guys were crazed. They were just animals. They dragged [the victim] from the pavement and dumped his body in the middle of the road and left his body there,” one witness said, AP reported. The two attackers then stood around, brandishing knives and a gun and asked passersby to take their pictures, “as if they wanted to be on TV or something. They were oblivious to anything. They were more worried about having their photo taken, running up and down the road,” the witness said to AP.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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