A 14-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a bladed article on school premises following a stabbing incident at the Co-op Academy in Blackley, north Manchester, on Tuesday morning.
The charges come as Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the Counter-Terrorism Policing North-West unit is leading the investigation. Two 14-year-old students and a 27-year-old male staff member sustained non-serious stab wounds and have since been discharged from hospital.
The suspect was initially arrested on suspicion of assault and detained under the Mental Health Act. Police are keeping an open mind regarding the motivation for the attack and have not officially classified it as a terrorist incident.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, the city of Manchester's district commander, stated: 'Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter-Terrorism Policing North-West aware of.' He added that there is no information to suggest any further threat to the public.
Following the incident, the school was placed into lockdown, with students instructed to remain in their classrooms. Some parents expressed frustration over a lack of communication from the school, relying on messages from their children to understand the situation.
