A 40 -year-old man arrested on suspicion of terrorism after three people were stabbed in Manchester has tonight been detained under the Mental Health Act.
The man was assessed by specialist doctors and compulsorily detained under the act, a police spokesman said this evening.
He added: “The investigation will continue in order to fully understand the motives behind the attack.
“There is not believed to be any wider threat to the commu nities of Greater Manchester and the attacker is believed to have acted alone. “
It comes as three people were stabbed at the Arndale shopping center just after 11. 15 am.
A 19 – year-old woman and another female were both taken to hospital with stab injuries. Their conditions were described as stable by the force.
A man in his 50 s was also taken to hospital with stab wounds, while a woman in her 40 s was treated by paramedics at the scene but was not stabbed.
A GMP spokesman said: “All but one have been discharged.
“The man in his 50 s is not believed to have life threatening injuries. “
Witnesses earlier described a scene of terror as shoppers, some with injuries, sought refuge in stores amid the panic.
One shop worker, who gave his name only as Jordan, 23, said: “A man was running around with a knife lunging at multiple people, one of which came into my store visibly shaken with a small graze.
“Soon after, security staff told all retail staff to close their doors and move the public to the back of the stores.”
Jordan, who has only been working at the center for a few months, said the attack took place on the ground floor.
Freddie Houlder, 22, from Market Drayton was in the Arndale Center when he heard “a load of screams just outside “the shop he was in.
He said a woman then came into the shop and told others” a guy just ran past the shop and tried to stab me ” .
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Mr Houlder added: “Luckily she had quite a thick jacket – she thought originally it was a fake knife because of how easily it grazed off but police came in and said it was a real knife and she burst in to tears. “
He said he was evacuated several minutes later at which point he saw” a bunch of curtains covering someone seriously injured or dead, I don’t know “.
” I definitely don’t think it was gang violence because this guy was going around trying to stab random people, I believe. “
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