London: Four men stabbed in Covent Garden; 47-year-old woman arrested; scissors seized

Tensions were high in central London , where four men were injured in a multiple stabbing that occurred on Wednesday, August 5, in Covent Garden , one of the busiest areas of the British capital. The alarm was raised on Endell Street , a street located a short walk from West End theaters and some of London's main tourist attractions. A 47-year-old woman was arrested shortly after the police intervened. The Metropolitan Police also confirmed the recovery of a pair of scissors at the scene , which may have been used in the attack.

Four men injured and transferred to hospital

The initial death toll was three, but police later updated it to four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 52. All suffered stab wounds and were treated at the scene by paramedics before being transferred to a major trauma center , a hospital specializing in the management of more complex trauma. At the time of the latest update released by British authorities, precise information on the severity of their conditions was not yet available.

The alarm was raised shortly after noon on Endell Street.

According to the official reconstruction, the Metropolitan Police were called around 12:27 p.m. local time to a report of a stabbing on Endell Street. Within minutes, the area was reached by numerous patrol cars and emergency responders from the London Ambulance Service. The London NHS mobilized an ambulance, a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, an emergency response manager, and London's Air Ambulance , the capital's air ambulance.

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Rescue and transfer to the trauma center

Paramedics found the four injured people still at the scene, performed initial assessments, and then rushed them to the hospital by land . The presence of the air ambulance and the immediate transfer to a trauma center helped draw the attention of residents, workers, and numerous tourists who were in central London at the time. Authorities, however, have not yet released a prognosis for the four people involved.

A 47-year-old woman arrested

A 47-year-old woman was stopped and arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault. She was taken into custody and, according to the latest available information, remains there while investigators continue their investigation. The arrest occurred immediately after the alert was raised, and police are now working to reconstruct the detailed sequence of events and determine whether the four men were shot in the same spot or at different times along Endell Street.

A pair of scissors was seized

One of the key pieces of evidence in the investigation is the pair of scissors recovered by officers at the scene . The Metropolitan Police confirmed the seizure of the item, which will be subjected to further investigation. Initial information therefore indicates that a knife was not necessarily used, although the injuries sustained by the men were described by authorities as stab wounds.

Police are considering a possible connection to mental health issues

In the first hours following the incident, the Metropolitan Police indicated that the incident is currently considered potentially linked to mental health issues . However, this is a preliminary investigative assessment and not a definitive reconstruction of the causes of the attack. Investigations have just begun, and it will be up to investigators to verify the circumstances leading up to the attack, any relationships between the individuals involved, and the behavior of the arrested woman.

No indication at this time of a terrorist origin

The information released in the early stages of the investigation does not currently indicate a terrorist motive for the incident. Investigators are reportedly focusing primarily on the personal situation of the arrested woman and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Caution remains necessary, however: in the hours immediately following an incident of this nature, police typically acquire surveillance footage, identify witnesses, and gather all relevant information before more precisely delineating the motive.

Police cordon in the centre of Covent Garden

Following the attack, police maintained an investigation on Endell Street and the surrounding areas of Covent Garden , with barriers and officers blocking access to the areas being investigated. The presence of numerous emergency vehicles caused inevitable disruption in an area characterised by heavy pedestrian, resident, and visitor traffic throughout the day. The Met has urged anyone with useful information to contact investigators, quoting reference CAD3449/05AUG.

The attack was just steps away from the West End theatres.

Endell Street is located in the heart of the capital's theatre and tourist district, not far from the Shaftesbury Theatre . The theatre is currently hosting the return of the musical Avenue Q to the West End , scheduled to run until the end of August 2026. The unusual timing of the incident, which occurred in broad daylight in a typically crowded area, amplified the alarm and led numerous passers-by to witness the police and rescue operations.

The testimonies and the dynamics still to be verified

According to testimonies reported by British media, the woman approached several people in the area, and at least some of the men were shot in the back before the attack continued down the street. This part of the reconstruction, however, has not been officially confirmed by the Metropolitan Police . The testimonies themselves, along with footage from security cameras in one of the most heavily guarded areas of central London, could prove crucial in establishing the exact sequence of events.

Covent Garden crowded with tourists at the time of the attack

The incident also attracted particular attention because of the location where it occurred. Covent Garden is one of London's main tourist hubs , nestled between the West End, Soho, Holborn, and Trafalgar Square. During the midday hours, the area is normally frequented by thousands of people, including tourists, workers, and theatergoers. The security measures implemented after the attack therefore had an immediately visible impact in the heart of the capital.

The Metropolitan Police investigation continues

Investigators must now first clarify how the attack began, why the four men were attacked, and whether there is a connection between the victims and the arrested woman . They also await medical updates on the conditions of the injured. The hypothesis of mental health issues is, at this time, only one element of the police's initial assessment and will need to be further investigated in subsequent investigations.