Police ruled out terrorism as witnesses revealed three children fell to the ground one after the other while five people were injured when a knife attack was launched in Dublin today.
A five-year-old girl is receiving emergency medical treatment after a serious attack in central Dublin, Irish police said.
One of the three children, a girl and a woman in her 30s, suffered “serious” injuries. Police said a man in his 50s and two other children were among the injured. All five were taken to hospital.
Police said the man in his 50s, who is being treated for his injuries in Dublin, is currently “a person of interest” and they are not currently looking for anyone else.
Passersby ambushed the attacker in front of a school and were able to disarm him, witnesses said. A man was taken to hospital after the incident. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said a suspect had been arrested.
Five people, including three children, are believed to have been injured today when a knifeman attacked a group of teenagers in Dublin before being mugged
“The children are gone. Suddenly one of them fell to the ground, then another fell to the ground and then another fell to the ground,” a man who witnessed the attack told the Irish Independent.
“Then this guy ran by,” he said, and “a whole bunch of people jumped on him.”
Irish police have confirmed that a total of five people were injured in the “major security incident” which took place in Parnell Square shortly after 1.30pm.
At a press conference in Dublin, Chief Inspector Liam Geraghty said An Garda Siochana “remains open-minded at this early stage of the investigation” but is confident there is no terrorist link.
“It is a very early stage of the investigation, less than four hours old at this stage, but at this stage An Garda Siochana have concluded, based on our investigation, that there is no terrorist activity or links to wider aspects of this problem is not,” he said.
“It appears that this is an isolated attack and we need to establish the reasons for it.”
Chief Inspector Geraghty said he understood a knife was used in the attack but could not provide further details about the nature of the injuries.
He added: “A Garda Siochana are continuing to investigate all the circumstances surrounding a serious attack which took place at Parnell Square East shortly after 1.30pm this afternoon.
Irish police confirmed that five people were injured, including three young children, in the serious incident, which happened shortly after 1.30pm.
“Preliminary indications are that a man assaulted several people in Parnell Square East.
“Five victims were taken to hospitals in the Dublin area.
“These victims include three young children, an adult woman and an adult man.”
“A five-year-old girl sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving emergency medical treatment at CHI Temple Street.”
One of the three children, a girl and the woman suffered “serious” injuries in the incident in the square in the northern city center of the Irish capital.
The man and two other children suffered less serious injuries, gardai said, adding that he had been in contact with the parents of the injured children.
Police said they are following a “definitive line of inquiry” and are not looking for anyone else at this time.
According to local sources, a large knife was seized.
The incident took place outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire, a school for primary school children. Police are working to determine a motive but do not suspect a terrorist motive behind the attack, Irish national broadcaster RTE reported.
Several people intervened and disarmed the man, witnesses said.
One said they saw a large knife taken from the suspect and thrown under trees opposite the Rotunda Hospital in the middle of the square.
Another told how she and another passerby disarmed a man with a knife.
“Without thinking I just walked across the street to help,” said Siobhan Kearney, who described the scene to RTE as “absolutely crazy”.
“Two children and the woman were taken back to the school they came from,” while the man was held on the ground by several people.
“An American lady and I formed a ring around him and said we would wait at Lake Garda.”
Kearney said the children were about 6 years old and she believed the injured woman was a teacher or a bystander.
Other eyewitnesses told the Irish Daily Mail they saw a young girl, “about four years old,” receiving emergency treatment from a passerby.
He said: “I saw a young girl with blood all over her body and a woman was treating her.” There was just chaos everywhere. Everyone was in tears.
“I can’t imagine what the parents are going through.”
Dublin City Councilor Nial Ring said he spoke to a woman on his way to the Stardust inquiry.
He said when the woman saw the attack, she confronted the attacker with another man (I heard it was a Deliveroo cyclist) and she managed to take the knife from him.
“These two civilians are true heroes and probably prevented more carnage.”
“Five victims were taken to various hospitals in the Dublin area,” a Garda spokesman said.
“The victims include an adult man, an adult woman and three young children.
“One child, a girl, sustained serious injuries, the other two children are being treated for less serious injuries.”
“An Garda Siochana is in contact with the parents of all three injured children.”
Police officers work at the scene of a suspected knife attack that left several children injured in Dublin, Ireland, on November 23.
An RTE reporter at the scene said the road was closed but parents were allowed into the school to see their children with Garda support. He said the parents tried desperately to get closer.
Chief Inspector Liam Geraghty said a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl were treated for minor injuries following the incident in Dublin.
He said: “The boy has now been discharged from CHI Crumlin.”
“An Garda Siochana supports the parents of all children.”
“The adult woman, in her 30s, is being treated at the Mater Hospital for serious injuries.
An adult man in his 50s is also being treated for serious injuries at a Dublin-area hospital.
“The scene currently remains closed and a technical investigation of the scene is underway.
“A control room has been set up at Mountjoy Garda Station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed.
“A Garda Siochana has a clear line of inquiry.
According to local reports, witnesses said they saw a large knife taken from the suspect and thrown under the trees opposite the Rotunda Hospital, which is located in the square.
“The man, who is in his 50s, is a person of interest to An Garda Siochana in this investigation and An Garda Siochana is not currently looking for anyone else.”
A police spokesman previously said it was a “serious incident”.
“An Garda Síochána is currently at the scene of a serious incident in Parnell Square East and is receiving assistance.” [by] other emergency services,” they said.
Helen McEntee, Ireland’s justice minister, said she was “deeply shocked” by the “horrific attack on three innocent children and women in Dublin today”.
“During this extremely difficult time, our thoughts are with the injured, especially the children, their parents and families.”
She added: “As far as I know, Gardaí are following a clear line of inquiry and are not looking for anyone else at this stage.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said gardai had arrested a suspect following the incident in central Dublin.
“We are all shocked by the incident in Parnell Square,” the Irish prime minister said. “A number of people were injured, including children.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
“I am in contact with the Minister of Justice who keeps me informed. The facts about this matter are still emerging. “The emergency services responded very quickly and were on the site within a few minutes.” I want to thank them for that.
“Gardai have arrested a suspect and a definitive investigation is underway.”
Photos posted online show several ambulances and other emergency vehicles parked around Parnell Square, particularly Parnell Square East.
There are numerous educational institutions around the square.
The concentration of rescue workers seen in photographs of the crime scene appears to be in front of Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire Primary School.
RTE reported that officers are still trying to determine the exact incident and have cordoned off the area. All lanes of the road are closed.
It is understood that at the same time as the attack, an inquest was taking place nearby into the Stardust nightclub tragedy, a fatal fire which destroyed the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin in 1981, killing 48 people.
An inquest witness, who also witnessed the attack, said in today’s attack a number of young men jumped in to help.
They said emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
