A 27-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of murder and seven counts of attempted murder following a spate of stabbings in the city centre.
His arrest follows a city-wide manhunt following the shocking attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, which left two people critically wounded.
The male suspect was apprehended at an address in Selly Oak at around 4am.
He remains in police custody, pending further questioning.
The alarm was first raised early on Sunday after a 23-year-old man was stabbed and killed on Irving Street in an incident police initially believed was a random attack.
A man and a woman, aged 19 and 32 respectively, also suffered serious stab wounds.
They remain in hospital and are said to be in a critical condition.
A further five people, aged somewhere between 23 and 33, suffered minor injuries.
The attacks took place across four different streets including Constitution Hill, Livery Street, Irving Street and finally Hurst Street.
Birmingham Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Steve Graham, described the arrest as a “crucial development” but added that police “still need to speak to any witnesses who saw what happened who’ve not yet spoken to us, or anyone who may have video footage or photos of the incidents or the attacker”.
“Officers worked through yesterday and into the early hours of this morning in a bid to trace the man we believe responsible for these terrible crimes," he said.
“We issued CCTV footage of the suspect and had a strong response from the public. I’d like to thank everyone who shared our appeal and who provided information to the investigation.
“One line of enquiry ultimately led us to an address in the Selly Oak area this morning where a man was arrested.”
