A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murd3r after two pupils, aged 12 and 13, were stabbed at Kingsbury High School in north-west London.
The incident occurred at around 12.40pm on Tuesday, February 10, at the school’s Bacon Lane campus in Brent. Both victims were taken to hospital, where they remain in serious condition.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams confirmed that a 13-year-old suspect was arrested after fleeing the scene. He said a weapon believed to have been used in the attack had been recovered and that the teenager remains in custody for questioning.
Williams added that the investigation is being led by counter-terrorism police, though the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related.
“This is a fast-moving and developing investigation, but we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to this incident,” Williams said at the scene.
“At this very early stage, we are keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this attack. I absolutely recognise that this incident will cause considerable concern – especially among our local community, students and parents of the school.
“I hope the news that we’ve arrested and detained the suspect will provide some reassurance, but our officers will remain in the area to offer support and answer any questions. We’d encourage anyone with concerns or further information to speak to them.”
Witnesses said one boy was stabbed in the midriff and another near the neck. It is understood the attack took place inside a classroom, reportedly during a science lesson, before a fire alarm was activated and the school evacuated. Parents described scenes of confusion and panic as pupils were instructed to leave their belongings and exit the premises.
Simon Theodoru, whose daughter is in Year 8, said he believed the incident occurred in a science classroom. “As far as I understand it this happened in a science classroom,” he said. “I was told that a former pupil came back and was targeting a pupil, and another pupil has been stabbed when they went to use the fire alarm to alert others.
“We had a text message from the school saying there had been a serious incident but there was nothing about what it was. We have learnt that it was a stabbing from my daughter and the news.”
Another parent said: “We heard pretty quickly after it happened and as a parent you have a sense of panic. I thought it might have been something really serious because the students were just told to go, leave their bags, coats, just go.”
The school issued a statement shortly after 2pm confirming there had been a “serious incident.” “We want to make you aware that there has been a serious incident at Kingsbury High School today,” the statement read.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities and following all necessary procedures. The situation is now under control, and we have already spoken directly with the parents and carers of the students involved.
“We understand that this will be concerning. At present, it is not possible to enter or leave the school site while the response continues. We will provide further updates as soon as we are able to share confirmed information.”
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service confirmed that ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic and a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “heartbroken” by the incident, while Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt described it as “deeply shocking and distressing.”
“This is a deeply shocking and distressing incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured, their families and the whole school community,” Butt said. “No parent should ever have to fear for their child’s safety at school, and it is horrifying to think of how someone so young came to be in possession of a weapon capable of causing such harm.”
Police have cordoned off the area near Roe Green Park as investigations continue. Kingsbury High School is an academy serving pupils aged 11 to 18 and has nearly 2,000 students enrolled.
