What we know about Hainault sword attack as suspect charged with murder
A 36-year-old man has been charged with the murder of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who was killed in the Hainault sword attack on Tuesday.
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning having been charged by police on Wednesday evening.
The teenager died on Tuesday after a man wielding a sword attacked several people after driving into a house. The Metropolitan Police released an image of Daniel on Wednesday, while the school where he was a pupil described the news as "heartbreaking".
The statement from Bancroft’s said: “We are devastated by the heartbreaking news of the death of Daniel Anjorin, who attended our school. This has left us in profound shock and sorrow.
“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us.”
The incident unfolded in Hainault on Tuesday morning when a man armed with a sword went on the rampage, attacking the teenager and injuring two other members of the public as well as the two police officers. Daniel died shortly after being taken to hospital.
Video footage showed the suspect being tasered and arrested. He was taken to hospital, having sustained injuries when his van hit a house.
Watch: Hainault eyewitness video shows man in hoodie carrying 'large blade'
What we know
On Wednesday, Monzo was charged with the murder of Daniel. The dual Spanish-Brazilian national, of Newham, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article, Met Police said.
Monzo is accused of crashing a van into a fence in Laing Close, close to Hainault Underground Station just before 7am on Tuesday and then attacking two members of the public with a sword. It is alleged he then killed Daniel before seriously injuring two police officers as they tried to stop him, one of whom nearly lost her hand. The four injured people were taken in hospital and none of their injuries are being treated as life-threatening.
Shocking CCTV footage showed the moment right before the suspect was tasered by police. Doorcam footage shows a man in a yellow hoodie wielding a sword in a driveway in Hainault as an officer approaches from behind while aiming their weapon.
After being incapacitated by police, the sword-wielding man was arrested and taken to custody. A damaged grey van was cordoned off on a residential road following the incident.
The man was tasered and arrested at the scene. The Met said it is not looking for any more suspects and that the incident does not appear to be terror-related.
Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC: “The first thing you have to say is for the parents involved, who’ve lost their 14-year-old, and that is just horrific, and it’s everyone’s worst nightmare. I’m sure we’re all thinking about them.
“We were on the ground in 12 minutes, and he was detained after 22 minutes. Obviously some of the first contacts led to officers being very severely injured.”
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Met Police assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe addressed speculation on the attackers' background and confirmed that they “found no trace of a prior incident involving him so far”.
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Rolfe said there will be a "significant police presence" in the area to help residents feel safe. "We are really keen to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident or has relevant information and would ask that they come forward as soon as possible," she said.
"We are turning focus to the wider community and in particular how the incident has impacted young people."
What we don't know
We do not know the identities of the people injured in the attack, nor the full details about their injuries.
It is not known what sparked the incident, as the Met said it was not a "targeted" attack.
No official pictures have been released of the suspect. We also do not know the nature of his injuries.
It is unclear how exactly the house which was driven into by a vehicle is related to the stabbings.
'Traumatising'
A neighbour from nearby Laing Close, who witnessed the attacks, said he could “not stop envisioning the boy’s face”. James Fernando, 39, said there had been a brief conversation between the suspect and one of his neighbours. “It’s quite traumatising now. I can’t stop envisioning the boy’s face," he said.
The resident’s neighbour, who also didn't wish to be named, witnessed the arrest, and said: “He was being tasered, went to the floor with all the armed police officers around and he was subdued there for half an hour."
One man, who asked not to be named, said he heard a woman scream after what appeared to be a stand-off between police and the suspect in an alleyway.
He said: “I heard shouting, I heard shrieking – I thought ‘who would be shrieking at this time in the morning?’ The shrieking sounded like the police – you know when they are ordering someone to stop or to get on their knees or something – it was like that. It was like ‘stop where you are, put that down, put that down’ – that kind of thing."
“I saw a policeman and policewoman – normal coppers with the short-sleeved shirts – who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down.”
He added: “Then he disappeared down this alley and then he was out of sight. They (the police) went into the alley and there seemed to be some sort of a stand-off there where I heard this huge commotion, then I heard a scream."
'A wonderful child'
Daniel’s family told Sky News he was “a wonderful child” who was “well loved” and “hard working”, adding that his death “leaves a gaping wound in the family”.
“No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today,” they told the broadcaster. “Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
Daniel’s mother works at Holy Family Catholic School in Walthamstow, east London. The school published a statement on its website that said: “Mrs Anjorin’s son was taken from this life suddenly this morning on his way to school. Please keep Mrs Anjorin, her husband, and their other children in your prayers.”
Speaking in PMQs on Wednesday, prime minister Rishi Sunak said the death of the teenager was “absolutely heartbreaking” and he paid tribute to the “highest standards of public service” shown by police in dealing with the incident.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said after Tuesday's attack: "I'm sure I speak for the entire city when I say our thoughts are with this young child and his family."
