A 53-year-old man is in police custody after a car crashed into a large crowd of people celebrating Liverpool F.C.’s championship Monday, May 26. Police confirmed the man is from the Liverpool area.
Medical officials said 27 people were hospitalized in the incident, and police said a “large number” of people were injured but treated without being taken to the hospital. Fire officials said four people, including one child, were trapped beneath the vehicle used in the incident. NHS University Hospitals requested via social media that people refrain from calling to find out information on patients.
“Next of kin will be contacted, so please help us to manage the incident as best we can by refraining from calling our switchboard,” the NHS said.
Merseyside Police said on social media they were contacted about 6 p.m. Monday after reports that a car had collided with the crowd. The car was stopped at the scene and a person was detained, police said.
How did the attack happen?
Dan Ogunshakin, an off-duty BBC reporter, was in Liverpool for the parade and witnessed part of the incident.
“The mood was one of celebration, of happiness, of joy and then all of a sudden we noticed an ambulance was moving down the crowd,” Ogunshakin said. “I said to my friend, ‘I wonder if someone had fallen ill,’ as obviously the ambulance is attending to someone.”
He said he saw a grey car in front of the ambulance and “suddenly a lot of people started to surround it.”
“Then what we noticed was people were hitting the car and shaking the car and we wondered why this was suddenly happening,” Ogunshakin said.
Ogunshakin said the car then reversed and knocked people away from it, and then “it suddenly accelerated forwards” straight towards the crowd of people.
“What had once been an atmosphere of celebration and joy and happiness suddenly turned into fear and terror and disbelief,” Ogunshakin said.
How have officials and the club responded?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on social media in response to the incident.
“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” Starmer wrote. “I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident. I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”
Liverpool Football Club said it is in contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident,” the club wrote in a post on X. “We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident.”
