West Midlands police have launched a murder investigation after a series of stabbings in Birmingham city centre left one man dead, two people with serious injuries and five others injured.
West Midlands police declared a major incident in Birmingham city centre after a number of stabbings in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Officers said they were initially called to reports of a stabbing at about 12.30am on Sunday, with “a number of other stabbings” happening between 12.30am and 2.20am. Police said they were linked and they were doing all they could to find whoever was responsible.
They said they were following several lines of inquiry and had increased their uniformed and armed presence in the city.Advertisement
Ch Supt Steve Graham, responsible for policing in Birmingham, said: “The events during the early hours of this morning are tragic, shocking and understandably frightening.
“Please be assured that we are doing absolutely everything we can to find whoever was responsible and try to understand what exactly happened.
“We have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. Your safety is always our priority and that’s why you’ll see an increase in officers on the streets.
“In the meantime, we’d ask anyone who’s in the city to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to us.”
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner, David Jamieson, said: “Last night’s events are truly terrible and have shocked the people of Birmingham, the West Midlands and the country.
“My first thoughts are with the victims and their families at this time.
“I have every faith in West Midlands police who are working extremely quickly on this investigation.
“My thanks also go to the ambulance and hospital staff who are working around the clock to help those who have been injured.”
