A north London secondary school was placed under emergency lockdown Tuesday afternoon following a knife attack that left two young pupils fighting for their lives in hospital.
Emergency crews descended on Kingsbury High School in Brent shortly before 1pm after receiving reports of a stabbing incident on the premises. The school’s 1,997 students were ordered to remain inside while police secured the scene, with no one permitted to enter or exit the grounds.
Paramedics rushed two boys – one aged 12, the other 13 – to separate hospitals across the capital. One victim was transported to a major trauma centre as a priority case, while both remain in serious condition receiving treatment.
A 13-year-old boy was taken into custody following the incident and continues to be questioned by detectives. Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are examining whether the attack may be terrorism-related as part of their ongoing investigation.
The London Ambulance Service deployed a substantial emergency response to Bacon Lane at 12.41pm, including multiple ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic, and a tactical response unit paramedic. A trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance also attended in a rapid response vehicle.
Parents rushed to the academy school after news of the incident spread, with many struggling to reach their children who had left mobile phones in classrooms. One mother described scenes of panic as she waited to collect her Year 8 daughter.
“A lot of kids don’t have their phones on them so I couldn’t get through,” she told local media. “They had to leave their bags and stuff. My daughter said that a fire alarm went off when it happened.”
School officials posted a statement on their website acknowledging a “serious incident” had occurred at the site. Staff directly contacted families of those involved, confirming the situation had been brought under control.
The academy, which serves students aged 11 to 18 across upper and lower sites, can trace its history back to 1925 when Kingsbury County School first opened in a former aircraft manufacturing building. The institution relocated to its current premises in 1932.
The investigation remains active as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack and determine what charges may be brought against the arrested teenager.
