Authored by Thomas Brooke va Remix News,
In the wake of Monday’s stabbing spree by a suspect reported by one national newspaper to have been a Somali immigrant, the leader of City of Edinburgh Council has praised the capital’s diversity and said she wants the city to “stay that way.”
Cllr. Jane Meagher spoke out after a man was arrested in connection with Monday morning’s violence, which saw armed officers swarm a block of flats and nearby streets following reports of a suspect carrying two large knives.
Footage of the suspect circulated widely on social media, showing a Black man wielding large blades in both hands.
The suspect’s nationality has not yet been confirmed by Police Scotland.
At least two people were injured during the attack, with one man suffering injuries “consistent with being stabbed” and a woman sustaining a head wound. Both were taken to hospital in the Scottish capital.
In a statement issued after the suspect was taken into custody, Meagher said she was “deeply shocked” by what had happened and paid tribute to emergency responders and council staff.
“Moments like this remind us of the need to stand together – and of the importance of community spirit and tolerance,” she said.
“Edinburgh is a proud, welcoming, and diverse city. Our biggest strength lies in those who live here – people from all walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds – and we all have a part to play in making sure it stays that way,” she added.
The attack prompted a major police response, with firearms officers deployed and a large cordon placed around flats near Calder Gardens. Local schools were also locked down.
Two men told BBC Scotland they saw a man holding what appeared to be two blood-stained knives outside a shop. One said, “I got out of my car, and the guy came up to me with his hands behind his back. He said, ‘Can I speak to you?’ He had the two knives behind his back, covered in blood.”
“He started going towards the school, so I was just trying to chase him back. He was coming towards me the whole time. He walked away up to the flats,” the witness added.
At a nearby supermarket, staff and customers hid in a back room after a worker raised the alarm. Shopkeeper Asif Hussain told the Scottish Sun newspaper that an employee phoned him to report that “a guy with a knife” had entered the premises.
“I told them, ‘Keep yourself barricaded in the back,'” he said. “That’s our procedure if anything like that happens. You barricade yourself in the back of the store.
“The guy tried to force open the door but couldn’t get in. He went behind the counter and started to smash up anything he could get his hands on.”
The suspect then headed towards a nearby primary school before holing up in a high-rise apartment block.
Video footage showed him grinning at locals as they hurled abuse at him, telling him to jump.
After several hours, the man was eventually apprehended and remains in custody.
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