London attack: Norwegian Somali behind stabbing spree

One woman was killed and five others injured in the central London attack

Norwegian of Somali origin killed American woman in Russel Square, police say, as they rule out "radicalisation".

British police say a man who stabbed six people in London's Russell Square was a Norwegian of Somali origin, but they have found no signs of "radicalisation".

A 19-year-old man was arrested in Russell Square after the attack as police swarmed around the area

 Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said on Thursday the investigation "increasingly points to mental health issues" as the possible cause of the attack.

"We believe this was a spontaneous attack and that the victims were selected at random," he said. "So far we have found no evidence of radicalisation that would suggest that the man in our custody is in any way motivated by terrorism."


The 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder following Wednesday's attack in the city centre, which was cordoned off by police.

Russell Square is a busy tourist area with a string of high-end hotels and is also close to the British Museum and the University of London. Rowley said one person was killed in the attack - an American woman.

The five injured people are British, American, Israeli and Australian. None has life-threatening injuries.
In an earlier statement, Rowley had said "possible terrorism links" were also being investigated, but the line was later retracted from the second statement.