VIDEO: Sheffield tourists witness aftermath of London's Russell Square knife horror

Two Sheffield tourists have described the shocking scene after a woman was knifed to death in London's Russell Square.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Aug 2016, 10:37 BST
Updated 5th Aug 2016, 11:39 BST
Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA WireFloral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Alex Hall and Reuben St Ledger had just left a nearby restaurant and walked right into the scene of a horrific attack which left one person dead and six people injured.

It was revealed late last night that Darlene Horton, a 64-year-old college professor from Florida was the person killed in the attack.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She was just hours away from flying home after spending a holiday in London with her husband.

A 19-year-old male suspect, a Norwegian national of Somali origin who moved to the UK in 2002, remains in police custody.

The Sheffield tourists didn’t realise the magnitude of the situation when they stumbled across Mrs Horton as officers tried to save her life.

Alex said: “We exited a restaurant two minutes away about 10.40pm and we walked past and we saw a someone lying on the ground just across the road from where we were.

Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA WireFloral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There was two or three police cars and police clearly giving CPR to a person who we later realised was a woman.
“I just thought it was someone getting CPR - it’s just not the sort of thing you expect around London.

“We walked around the park and came back and saw lots of police cars and quite a few ambulances. Police pushing people away from the cordon so then we kind of realised something a bit amiss.

“The police were pushing people back quite far away, they didn’t want anyone near the cordon and anyone near the lady.”

Rueben who travelled down with Alex said incidents like this didn’t put him off to visit London as a tourist.

Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA WireFloral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Floral tributes rest against railings near the scene of a fatal stabbing in Russell Square, London, after a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and five people injured in a knife rampage in central London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 4, 2016. Counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation into the attack, although Scotland Yard said it was focusing its lines of inquiry on mental health. See PA story POLICE Attack. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We heard about the increase in police, things are happening but you’ve just got to get on with life.”

Scotland Yard said no evidence has been found of radicalisation or anything to suggest the attack was ‘in any way motivated by terrorism’.

A British man who suffered a stab wound to his stomach in the attack remains in hospital in a ‘serious but stable’ condition while an American man, an Australian man and woman, and an Israeli woman were all discharged from hospital on Thursday after receiving treatment for their injuries.

Related topics:LondonSheffieldCPRPoliceFlorida