TWO of the people killed in the horror attack in Nottingham this morning were students said to be walking home from a nightclub.
Three people died following the alleged attacks today, seeing a 31-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.
Another man is fighting for his life in hospital, cops have revealed.
But the two people that witnesses claim they saw being knifed to death on Ilkeston Road just after 4am were students.
People on the street told of the horror when they heard "blood-curdling screams" before a young woman shrieked for help.
The University of Nottingham this afternoon confirmed two of the three victims attended their campus.
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The young people were said to have been just minutes from their home at the halls in Lenton when they died.
In a statement, the University of Nottingham said: "It is with great sadness that we confirm the sudden and unexpected death of two of our students following a major incident in Nottingham city centre overnight.
"We are shocked and devastated by the news and our thoughts are with those affected, their families and friends.
"We know this is likely to cause distress for staff and students in our community.
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"Support is available through our support and wellbeing services for any of our community who may need it."
A pal of the man told The Mirror: “He was a friend of mine. He was just walking home from a club like we all do. They just got unlucky.
“They were just five minutes from home and both got stabbed by some random guy."
He said both students were first years at university.
The university's graduation ball has now been canned following the alleged attacks.
The celebration, organised by the University of Nottingham Students’ Union, was set to take place this evening.
However the group said: "We stand in solidarity with all our students and the wider city, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of those harmed, alongside those directly and indirectly affected by the unfolding of these terrible events.
“In light of this, we have made the decision to cancel Grad Ball this evening.
“Attendees will be contacted in due course, but in the meantime we are continuing to work with the university and relevant authorities to understand the situation.”
What we know:
- "Major incident" declared in Nottingham and six roads closed
- Police confirm two people found dead on Ilkeston Road just after 4am
- Another man also found dead on nearby Magdala Road in city centre
- Three others injured after van tried to mow them down on Milton Street
- Witness tells of hearing gunshots before cops swarmed van on Maples Street, seeing a man arrested on suspicion of murder
- Terror cops with assault rifles raid home on Ilkeston Road
- Cops reveal they're not looking for anyone else in connection to tragedy
- Timeline reveals how horror unfolded
- Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pays tribute to victims
Meanwhile, Nottingham City Council boss David Mellen said some people injured when the van tried to mow them down had been waiting for transport.
He told the BBC the victims' "only crime was to be waiting at a bus stop early in the morning".
Police this afternoon said they are keeping an open mind around the horror, not looking for anybody else in connection to it.
It comes after armed terror cops raided a home on the same street that two students were found dead.
Chief Constable Kate Meynell this afternoon said: “This is a tragic series of events which has led to the lives of three innocent people being taken and left another member of the public in a critical condition in hospital.
“My thoughts are with all the families affected by this shocking incident, and we will be working extremely hard to understand exactly what has happened.
“We are at the early stages of the investigation and need to determine the motives behind these attacks and will keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say more.
“We are keeping an open mind as we investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents and are working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing to establish the facts – as we would normally do in these types of circumstances.
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“We do have a man in custody who has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Currently, we do not believe there is anyone else involved in this incident.
“It is safe to go into the city centre but there are a number of streets that will remain closed including Ilkeston Road, Magdala Street, Milton Street and Maple Street. This is so officers can gather evidence in order to understand what has happened.”
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