The Latest: Police ID London Bridge attacker as ex-convict

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on an incident in London Bridge (all times local):

12:50 a.m.

British police say a man who stabbed two people to death and wounded three others was a 28-year-old who had served a prison sentence for terrorism offenses.

The Metropolitan Police force says the suspected attacker is Usman Khan, who lived in the Staffordshire area of central England.

He was shot dead by police Friday on London bridge after the knife attack.

Neil Basu, the force’s counterterrorism chief, said Khan was convicted in 2012 “for terrorism offenses” and released in December 2018 “on license,” which means he would have to meet certain conditions or face recall to prison.

Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.

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10:50 p.m.

British media citing security sources reported that the attacker who fatally stabbed two people in London was an ex-prisoner with links to Islamic extremist groups.

BBC and Sky News were among the outlets reporting the details late Friday. The Times of London says the attacker stabbed people at a criminology conference in London that he was attending.

Officials would not confirm those details, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had “long argued” that it was a “mistake to allow serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early.”

Johnson, who chaired a meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency committee late Friday, said more police would be patrolling the streets “for reassurance purposes.”

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8:15 p.m.

London police say two people were killed in a stabbing near London Bridge that ended when the attacker was shot dead by police.

Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick said “tragically” two members of the public had lost their lives in the Friday attack.

Police earlier said only that “a number” of people had been injured.

Police say the stabbing happened at a premises near the bridge. The fleeing attacker, who was wearing a hoax explosive device, was tackled by members of the public before being shot by police.

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4:55 p.m.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says police are not looking for anyone else in the stabbings that took place near London Bridge.

The mayor commended the “breathtaking heroism” of the members of public who intervened in the incident, running toward the suspect. The man was later shot dead by police.

Khan says a number of people were wounded in the incident Friday and that some of the injuries are serious. He did not offer a figure, but said it was important to allow the families of those who were hurt some privacy.

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4:30 p.m.

Police say the stabbings and shooting at London Bridge have been declared a “terrorist incident” and that a man was shot dead.

The Metropolitan Police’s Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu says the suspect who died was wearing a hoax explosive vest.

Police have said several people were stabbed, though it was not immediately clear how many people were hurt nor the extent of their injuries. Basu did not address the number of injured in his statement Friday.

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3:30 p.m.

London’s Metropolitan Police say that though the circumstances of an incident on London Bridge remain unclear, authorities are treating it as if it is terror-related.

The police acknowledged one man had been shot in the incident that began at 1:58 p.m. on Friday. The police say that “at this stage, the circumstances relating to the incident at #LondonBridge remain unclear. However, as a precaution, we are currently responding to this incident as though it is terror-related.”

“One man has been shot by police. We will provide further information when possible.”

They previously said that several people had been stabbed nearby.

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2:50 p.m.

Police say several people have been stabbed close to London Bridge, and a man has been detained.

The Metropolitan Police force says officer were called Friday afternoon “to a stabbing at premises near to London Bridge.”

They say “a man has been detained by police. We believe a number of people have been injured.”

The news comes after witnesses reported hearing gunshots. Sky News reported that police had shot the apparent attacker.

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2:20 p.m.

British police say they’re dealing with an incident on London Bridge, and witnesses have reported hearing gunshots.

The Metropolitan Police force tweeted that officers were “in the early stages of dealing with an incident at London Bridge.”

A BBC reporter said he heard shots being fired and saw someone on the ground.