UK town in shock after crossbow attack linked to triple murder, suspect held

UK police on Wednesday (Jul 10) detained a man, after an extensive search campaign, suspected of killing three women in Bushey, northwest of London, with a crossbow. The man was caught in the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London. The suspect was found with injuries and was being treated. Police officers fired no shots during the exercise, as per reports in local media.

The tragic incident, which the police termed 'targeted', happened Tuesday as the Hertfordshire Police were called to the murder site just before 7 pm local time. The police found the three women, aged 25, 28 and 61, with critical injuries.

The three victims have been identified as the relatives ofnews broadcaster BBC'sracing commentator John Hunt. His wife and two daughters became targets of the attack, said BBC in a statement. Police earlier said they believed the suspect was known to the victims.

Emergency services were rushed to the scene, including a Hazardous Area Response Team and two air ambulances. However, the ladies were pronounced dead on the scene by the doctors.

The suspect

Police have identified the suspect as Kyle Clifford and issued an appeal to the public regarding his whereabouts.

The 26-year-old suspect is understood to have served in the British Army for a brief period until he quit in 2022.

The authorities have advised people not to approach Clifford as he may still be in possession of the crossbow that he may have used in the murder. Police didn’t rule out the possibility of the use of some other weapon.

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Hertfordshire Police Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson on Wednesday directly addressed the suspect through media and urged him to get in touch with police. "Kyle, if you are seeing or hearing this, please make contact," he said.

UK home secretary's statement

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was constantly being briefed about the situation by the officials. She also urged members of the public with any information to hand it over to police.

"The loss of three women's lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the family & friends of those who have been killed & with the community," she said.

Local city councillor Laurence Brass told local media that the incident had left him "very shocked."

"We're not used to this in this area, it's a very typical, leafy Bushey suburb… and suddenly we're told there are three murders. We had a helicopter landing at the top of my road last night, police all over the place. So, I'm concerned for residents, who I think are a little bit traumatised by what's going on here," he said.

Notably, people can carry crossbows legally in the UK without having to obtain any government approval. However, they may be asked to provide a reasonable excuse if they are found to be carrying it in public.

(With inputs from agencies)