Terror in Reading UK prompted Dusseldorf in Germany to react

It’s now official. The stabbing attack in Reading, UK has now officially declared a terror attack.  In Dusseldorf, Germany the mayor of this German City, Mr. Geisel voiced his sympathy and shock to his colleague,  mayor councilor David Stevens.

Reading in southeast England has 230,000 residents and since 1988 an official sister city for Duesseldorf.

Die Nachricht des mutmaßlichen Terroranschlags mit drei Toten und drei Schwerverletzten in der englischen Partnerstadt Reading ist in der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf mit Entsetzen aufgenommen worden.

“Ich bin bestürzt über die Nachrichten aus unserer Partnerstadt. Drei Menschen sind einem schrecklichen Verbrechen zum Opfer gefallen. Auch wenn wir noch nicht alle Einzelheiten kennen, müssen wir derzeit von einem feigen Terroranschlag auf Unschuldige ausgehen. Meine Gedanken sind bei den Angehörigen der Opfer. Ich werde mich noch in einem persönlichen Schreiben an Readings Bürgermeister Councillor David Stevens wenden.”

The stabbings in Reading, in which three people were killed and at least three others were injured, have been declared a terrorist incident. Counter-Terrorism Policing South East will now lead the investigation into the attack.

A 25-year-old man who remains in police custody after he was arrested at the scene on Saturday evening has been named as Khairi Saadallah. Multiple sources have confirmed Saadallah is a Libyan refugee who had been granted asylum and had previously been in prison for a relatively minor offense.

Saadallah was on the radar of the security services in the middle of last year. The intelligence agencies believe Saadallah had mental health and violence problems, the sources said.

The first named victim of the terrorist attack in Reading has been identified as James Furlong. He was the Head of History, Government, and Politics at the Holt School in Wokingham. Furlong has been described as a “kind and gentleman” who had a “real sense of duty and cared for each and every one of our students”.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has said he would make changes to the legal system to prevent other attacks from happening if “there are lessons to be learned”. The attack could be the third terrorist incident in the UK since the terror threat was downgraded last November.

Police have launched a double murder inquiry following a shooting at a large street party in Manchester. Greater Manchester Police said two men, aged 36 and 21, had died after being taken to hospital with gunshot wounds in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A further 43 people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus. The Department of Health and Social Care figures show the total death toll across all settings now stands at 42,632.