Knifeman ‘stabs three victims dead in Glasgow hotel before being shot by armed police’ as major incident is declared
Glasgow is on lockdown today amid unconfirmed reports that three people have been stabbed to death in a hotel by a knifeman then shot by armed police.
The Scottish city centre is on lockdown after Police Scotland declared a ‘major incident’ at around 1pm before officers with automatic weapons stormed the Park Inn hotel in West George Street.
BBC reporter Catriona Renton is on the scene and tweeted: ‘Understood three dead in a stairwell of hotel. Had been stabbed. Police shot suspect’.
Police have not said what has happened other than that the ‘situation is contained – there is no danger to the public’ – and have not commented on social media claims one of their officers had been stabbed.
Footage from the scene showed officers running down George Street and witnesses saw ‘bloodied’ people being taken from the Park Inn hotel on stretchers. The hotel has been used temporary homeless accommodation during the coronavirus crisis.
Police have not said what has happened other than that the ‘situation is contained’ and ‘there is no danger to the public’.
An injured person is taken away on a trolley by paramedics after a major incident in Glasgow where it was reported that multiple people have been stabbed
Armed officers were filmed running down West George Street with the BBC claiming that the knifeman was shot
Witness Craig Milroy, who saw the aftermath of the incident from an office building nearby, said he had seen four people taken away in ambulances.
He told the PA news agency: ‘I saw a man lying on the ground, of African descent, with no shoes on. He was on the ground with someone holding his side – I don’t know if it was a bullet wound, a stab wound, or what it was.’
Mr Milroy said the man was one of the four taken away by medics and believed him to be a victim of an attack.
He added: ‘After that we saw commotion, ambulances further up and we saw armed police all running into the hotel next to the Society Room.
‘We were still standing outside, after that the police all came down, the riot police and triage team told us to go back in and lock the door.’
Mark White, from Sky News, said: ‘Several people have been injured in a serious incident in Glasgow city centre. Armed police have sealed off West George Street. Eyewitnesses have told they saw people, bloodied, being taken on stretchers from the Park Inn hotel.’
LBC reporter Fraser Knight was at the scene and posted: ‘Reports of multiple stabbings in Glasgow City Centre and a potential major incident with upwards of 20 police vehicles, riot shields, armed officers and paramedics on West George Street
‘Around 20 police vehicles, armed officers, sniffer dogs and riot shields are on the scene at West George Street in Glasgow. Lots of shouting and huge number of paramedics in hazmat suits
‘Huge police and ambulance response to an incident on West George Street in Glasgow – reports of a police officer being stabbed.’