The attacker behind the terrorist rampage Wednesday at the gates of the Houses of Parliament in London was a British-born man previously known to MI5 due to concerns over violent extremism, reports the Guardian. The assailant was shot dead as he attacked police officers in the shadow of Big Ben. Prime Minister Theresa May said, “The man was British-born and some years ago was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns of violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. His case was historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.” Armed police arrested eight people during late-night raids at six addresses across the country, including in Birmingham and London.
The dead included Aysha Frade, 43, a London teacher and mother of two; a man in his mid-50s, as well as police officer Keith Palmer, 48, who was married with children. Among the 29 treated for injuries at hospital were 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Chinese national, one Irish national, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. A police official said the attacker acted alone and “was inspired by international terrorism.”