Officers also responded to a third incident close by “where a van had attempted to run over three people.” They are being treated in a hospital.
Nottinghamshire police did not indicate a motive for the killings but said they had detained a 31-year-old man on “suspicion of murder.”
“This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people,” Chief Constable Kate Meynell said in a statement. “We believe these three incidents are all linked and we have a man in custody.”
Meynell urged the public to be patient and said a number of roads in the city would remain closed. “This investigation is at its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened,” she added.
Local lawmaker Alex Norris tweeted: “Awful news for our city to wake up to today. Our community’s thoughts and prayers are with all those affected. Our gratitude is with our blue light responders for their work today also.”
The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, also said he was sending his “thoughts to all those affected and to the emergency services who are responding,” the BBC reported.
Nottingham has a population of about 300,000 and sits in the country’s Midlands. The incident occurred close to the city’s university and central railway station. Images showed police had cordoned off streets in the city center, although nearby shops remained open.
