Breaking: 5 Dead, 40+ Injured In Terrorist Attack Outside British Parliament

Credit: Stefan Rousseau

After an attack that has left many scared and confused, five people are confirmed dead and at least forty have been injured in what’s being called a “sick and depraved” attack outside of British Parliament and on the Westminster Bridge.

The attack began in the early afternoon, when the driver of a large vehicle sped across the bridge, mowing down as many pedestrians as he could, before stopping the vehicle, exiting, then walking towards Parliament. The unnamed assailant approached an armed police officer, stabbed him to death, and was in turn shot to death by police.

Among the 5 that have been confirmed as dead are the police officer, Keith Palmer, the assailant, and three others that were killed by the vehicle on the bridge. Palmer, who was 48, had been on the force for 15 years and was a husband and father. Among the injured were teenage schoolchildren visiting from France, several police officers, and a woman that was caught falling off of the bridge on film.

Credit: Andrew Testa

“The location of this attack was no accident,” said Prime Minister Theresa May in a statement. “The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city, where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech.”

The day of the attack marks one year since the suicide bombings in Brussels that left 32 dead. Citizens of London are now worried that their city has now been marked as a major target for terrorists, along with Paris, Brussels, and Berlin.

Credit: BBC (The assailant was wheeled away and taken by ambulance, but was later confirmed dead.)

“Terrorism affects us all, and France knows the pain the British people is enduring today,” President François Hollande of France said in a news conference.

Eyewitnesses on the bridge described the scene as one of sheer panic, with people running around in different directions and some injured people lying on the floor. Those that were near Parliament said they heard shouting, as people yelled at the assailant to not move any closer to the entryway, followed by shots.

News surrounding the attack and the aftermath is still emerging, and you can find updates here.

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