22 Confirmed Dead After Terror Attack During Ariana Grande Concert in Manchester, England
ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack during an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England killing 22 people including children. The star was very emotional when she found out her fans had been harmed and in some instances killed. The person responsible for executing the attack has been confirmed dead. Grande has suspended her world tour indefinitely in wake of the bombing.
A concert for the pop star Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena on Monday, May 22nd, 2017, ended in panic, horror and death when an explosion reportedly erupted at [10:35] PM local time, killing and injuring dozens and leaving thousands more in a state of panic.
The blast, which the New York Times believes occurred in an enclosed space connecting the Manchester Arena to Victoria Station, has since launched a “fast-moving investigation” as Greater Manchester Police, England and the entire world tries to understand exactly what happened. Here is what we know so far.
According to the BBC, 22 people, including children, died during the explosion, which reportedly took place just after Grande left the stage; an additional 59 people were injured, as confirmed in an updated statement by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police.
“Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones,” the statement reads. “We continue to do all we can to support them. They are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.”
Hopkins also said the explosion “has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.”
Hopkins also confirmed in his statement that the explosion is being treated as a “terrorist incident.” “Our priority is to work with the National Counter Terrorist Policing Network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack,” the statement reads.
Prime Minister Theresa May also said the explosion is “being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack,” according to the New York Times.
ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack, per ABC News.
BBC News adds that the terror level in the United Kingdom has been at “severe” for almost three years, meaning the threat of an attack is “highly likely.”
According to the official police statement, it is believed “at this stage” that the attack “was conducted by one man.” “The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network,” the statement reads.
The statement also confirmed that the attacker died at the arena. “We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity,” the statement continues.
“We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names,” the statement adds. “There is a complex and wide ranging investigation underway.”
The New York Times adds that the police “were investigating reports that the device had used nuts and bolts as shrapnel,” according to other officials.
A 23-year-old was arrested in South Manchester on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017, in connection with the attack, according to ABC News.
Shortly after the explosion occurred, Grande herself confirmed that she was safe, writing on Twitter that the attack had left her “broken.” “From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry,” she continued. “I don’t have words.”
TMZ added that Grande was “inconsolable” and “in hysterics” over the realization that her young fans had been hurt or killed by the explosion.
In wake of the bombing, TMZ is reporting that Grande has suspended her world tour indefinitely, due to Grande’s emotional state and overall safety concerns. TMZ says the tour was scheduled to make stops in London on May 25th, 2017, followed by stops in Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
