Speaking at the same news conference Tuesday, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said police believed the man arrested had been able to follow an ambulance responding to reports of a member of the public having a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.
Sims reiterated that authorities were not investigating the incident as a terrorism-related event and urged the public against speculating about the incident.
Authorities had “robust” security measures in place ahead of Tuesday’s celebrations, she said, adding, “there was no intelligence to suggest an incident of this nature would take place.”
Sims said that as of Tuesday, 11 people remained in hospital for ongoing treatment, but all appeared to be in “stable condition” and “recovering well.”
On Tuesday, swaths of downtown Liverpool were cordoned off and there was a heavy police presence as investigators in white hazmat suits examined the site as a crowd of onlookers took in the aftermath.
Sue and Michael Hamilton, from Melbourne, Australia, said they had just missed the incident, leaving the area not long before it unfolded.
“It wasn’t ’til we got back to our motel room that we realized what had happened,” said Sue Hamilton, 61, who said the couple came to join in the parade while visiting the U.K. for their son’s wedding. “We were feeling just so lucky and fortunate that we weren’t involved because we were that close.”
Video shared on social media and verified by NBC News capturing the lead-up to the incident showed people yelling at the van, kicking at it and trying to open its doors as the driver appeared to move back and forth. The immediate circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear.
The vehicle could later be seen speeding up and driving through a crowd, knocking down a number of pedestrians before plowing forward again. A number of people were left lying on the asphalt.
After the car came to a stop, the video showed angry Liverpool fans swarming the vehicle again, pounding on its windows and exterior as police rushed to secure the scene.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
