CNN
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Monday began as a celebration day for many in Liverpool, a city that loves freedom spirited football in northwestern England. The car ended with panic and horror after plunging into the crowd and injuring dozens of people, including children.
Police are now selecting details of a disturbing incident in the city centre as vehicles shed tears through fans celebrating the Liverpool soccer team’s Premier League title victory.
The arrest was made quickly, but many questions remain, including why the 53-year-old man ran into many people.
This is what we know.
Liverpool was flooded with red on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans packed the streets and watched a parade of open-top buses celebrating the club’s 20th league title.
However, concerns began to flow through the crowd just after 6pm local time (1pm ET), and Merseyside police said they had been arrested following reports of a car collision with many pedestrians on Water Street.
Video posted online appears to show the car surrounded by fans, with a conflict between the driver and members of the crowd. The vehicle then speeded up and headed from right to left, another video was displayed, knocking people on the ground, causing a crazy scrum before stopping.
“It was very fast,” witness Harry Rashid told the UK’s PA Media News Agency. “In the beginning, I just heard pop, pop, pop, pop from people being knocked out of the hood of a car.”
Authorities said at a press conference that a total of 65 victims were injured in the crash, and 50 people were treated at hospitals. Of the injured, 11 remained in the hospital. Police said they were all “stable” and “appearing to be well recovered.”
Four people, including the child, were trapped under the car and needed rescue by firefighters, added Nick Sahl, chief fire chief of the Merseyside Rescue Service.
A 53-year-old white man believed to be the driver was immediately arrested at the scene, according to Merseyside police.
The man is from Liverpool, police added.
Officials described the conflict as an “isolated incident,” saying they were not looking for other suspects and did not treat the incident as terrorist attacks.
At a press conference, police said the suspect was being held for attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving while ineligible through drugs.
He is believed to have been able to enter Water Street, which was closed to the vehicle by following the ambulance allowed into the street.
Monday’s incident and subsequent uncertainty brought painful memories from another tragedy in the area. The horrifying stab wounds of three young girls last year at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport 20 miles north of Liverpool.
Axel Ludakbana, 18, admitted to killing the girl and stabbing 10 others in the attack, which shocked the country. He was sentenced to at least 52 years in January.
In an era of anger and confusion following the incident, misinformation about suspects is circulating online. The far-right group promoted false rumors that the attackers were immigrants, leading to days of racial riots that targeted hotels that house asylum seekers, and saw crowds of agitators attacking.
These events may have informed Merseyside police decisions that also responded to the Southport attacks, and informed them that information would be promptly released that the suspect was white.
“I never knew of a case like this (very quickly) that gave the individuals who were involved in it the ethnicity and race,” Dal Bab, former chief director of London’s Metropolitan Police, told the BBC on Tuesday. “I think it was to suppress some of the far-right speculation that continues with X, even when we were talking.”
However, other factors may also be active, such as the fact that terrorism is quickly removed as a motive and eliminates some sensibilities regarding public information.
The Trophy Parade took place on a national bank holiday the day after Liverpool unlocked the Premier League trophy following Sunday’s final round match.
In a short statement, the club said they were in contact with the police and said, “Our thoughts and prayers are thoughts and prayers with those affected by this serious incident.”
Support came from the rest of the support as well. Everton, a rival in Liverpool’s bitter field, sent a message of support. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carrager called it “the devastating end of the day.”
And Jurgenklopp, former Liverpool manager who was taking part in the open-top bus parade, said, “My family and I are in shock and devastation.
“You never walk alone,” Klopp adds, referring to songs from the famous show in 1963 by Jerry and the pacemaker of the Liverpool Group. The lyrics were quickly shared between social media on Monday after news of the incident emerged.
The collision scene was quickly secured. Fireworks and other debris were scattered on close streets, a relic of a miserable party.
“Liverpool stands together and the whole country is standing with Liverpool,” British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said Tuesday.
An investigation into the causes and circumstances surrounding the incident is underway.
“I don’t know how the car got there,” the area’s MP Kim Johnson told reporters on the scene. “The Liverpool City Council and our emergency services are well versed in supporting these types of large events and protecting the public with these types of events.”
