WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has offered his condolences to British Prime Minister Theresa May following the deadly attack in London. The White House says the president praised the response of security forces and first responders and pledged “the full cooperation and support” of the U.S. government “in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice.”
The White House says the two spoke by phone after a vehicle mowed down pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge. Around the same time, a knife-wielding attacker stabbed a police officer and was shot on the grounds outside Britain’s Parliament. The compound was placed on lockdown.
Prime Minister May condemned the “sick and depraved terrorist attack” and says the targeting of Parliament was no accident. In a late-night statement outside her Downing Street office Wednesday, a defiant May said the nation will not give in to terror and those who targeted the seat of power in Britain.
She insisted that “tomorrow morning Parliament will meet as normal,” and urged the country to move on and behave as normal on Thursday.
“we will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart,” she said.
T that four people died in the attack and praised the security services who ran toward danger.
The head of counterterrorism at London’s Metropolitan Police has said, and the prime minister confirmed, that four people died in what has been labeled a terror incident, including the attacker and a police officer.
Mark Rowley, the head of counterterrorism at London’s Metropolitan Police, says some 20 people were injured and Parliament was locked down. Authorities searched to make certain no other attackers were in the area, though police believe there was only one attacker.
Rowley said the dead policeman was one of the armed officers who guard Parliament. The other victims were on Westminster Bridge.
Rowley says “We are satisfied at this stage that it looks like there was only one attacker. But it would be foolish to be overconfident early on.”