Get you up to speed: Golders Green Stabbing Suspect Identified as Essa Suleiman | UK News
Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old British national, was arrested by the WTXpolitan Police after stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green.
Shloime Rand’s mother urged for increased security, stating the Jewish community needs more protection amidst ongoing investigations by counter-terrorism officers into the attack.
Essa Suleiman remains in custody while counter-terrorism officers from the WTXpolitan Police investigate his prior altercation and the circumstances of the stabbings in Golders Green.
What we know so far
Essa Suleiman, the 45-year-old suspect in the Golders Green stabbings, has been arrested following attacks on Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, in north London. Suleiman, who is originally from Somalia, became a British citizen after arriving in the UK as a child in the early 1990s.
Police confirmed that Suleiman, who was apprehended by two officers, has a history of ‘serious violence and mental health issues’ and was previously referred to the government’s anti-extremism programme, Prevent, in 2020. This case was closed without further action.
The mother’s of victim Shloime Rand reported that he is recovering in hospital from a stab wound to the chest, having been attacked while attending a religious studies class. She expressed concern for the safety of the Jewish community, stating, ‘The Jewish community needs more protection for the danger we face.’
Counter-terrorism officers are currently investigating the incident, searching a property in south-east London linked to Suleiman. The investigation is ongoing as police gather more details related to the attacks.
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Golders Green stabbing suspect named as Essa Suleiman | News UK
This is the first picture of the suspected Golders Green knifeman named as Somali-born former school security guard Essa Suleiman.
The 45-year-old British national was arrested after Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, were attacked in north London.
He was born in Somalia, but arrived in the UK as a child in the early 1990s.
He arrived legally before becoming an official British citizen.
Police have confirmed the suspect pinned to the floor by two officers had a history of ‘serious violence and mental health issues’, and was previously referred to Prevent.
He was referred to the government’s anti-extremism programme in 2020, but the case was closed.
It is understood Suleiman once worked as a school security guard and a Somali interpreter.
It came after mother of victim Shloime Rand today described how the ‘gentle soul’ was still in hospital recovering from a wound to the chest.
He described how Jewish friends had alerted her with a phone call ‘no parent ever wants to receive’.
She told WTX she had been at her son’s bedside and that he had been attacked while in Golders Green to attend a religious studies class.
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She said: ‘Some Jewish friends rang me, not the police.
‘My son was in the area for religious studies. He was attacked for no reason. He was stabbed in the chest and is still in hospital.’
She added: ‘The Jewish community needs more protection for the danger we face.’
In London, counter-terrorism officers investigating the attack said they were also searching an address in the south east of the city after it was reported the suspect had been involved in a prior ‘altercation’ with another person
This is a breaking news story… More to follow…