Two men have been arrested following four potentially linked stabbings in Edmonton, north London.
A man in his 40s was arrested at a residential address in Edmonton on suspicion of gross bodily harm and taken into custody at a north London police station, while the first man arrested on suspicion of GBH also remains in custody.
The victims of a stabbing spree were out walking alone when they were randomly attacked from behind, police say.
A 45-year-old woman, who was stabbed in the back, and a 23-year-old man are in a critical condition in hospital.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Smillie, from North Area Command, said: “We are doing everything we can to apprehend the suspect behind these cowardly and senseless attacks.
“We are treating the four stabbing related incidents as potentially linked.
“The four victims are from different backgrounds and appear to have been selected at random due to them being alone and vulnerable.
“There is nothing to suggest this incident is terror related.
“We are working on the hypothesis that the single male suspect is acting alone and mental health issues may be a factor.
“All of the people he has targeted have been walking alone and he has approached from behind without warning.
“The motive from the stabbing appears to be solely to inflict harm.
“Early accounts suggest none of the victims were robbed or engaged in conversation before they were attacked.”
The single male suspect who is described as a black man, approximately 6ft 3ins tall, of skinny build and wearing dark clothing, possibly a hooded top.
Police said there is a lot of police activity under way to catch the suspect.
“Extra resources have been called upon and are on the streets now working to keep the public safe and catch the individual responsible,” Scotland Yard said.
The first stabbing took place at 7.02pm on Saturday at Aberdeen Road following reports of an assault.
The 45-year-old victim suffered a stab wound to her back after being attacked by the man.
She was taken to an east London hospital where she remains in a critical condition.
The second incident took place four hours later at around 12.15am on Sunday morning with reports of a male suffering stab injuries in Park Avenue.
Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and the male victim was taken to an east London hospital for treatment. His condition is not life threatening.
The third incident on Sunday was at 3.55am with reports of a man stabbed at Seven Sisters Tube station.
A 23-year-old man suffered stab injuries and remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Initial enquiries have established that the man may have been attacked in Silver Street, Edmonton.
The last incident took place at 9.43am in Brettenham Road.
Officers attended and found a man with a stab injury to the back.
He has been taken to hospital for an assessment of his injury, and while his injuries are not life-threatening they are potentially life-changing.
Smillie added: “We are working on the hypothesis that the single male suspect is acting alone and mental health issues may be a factor.
“All of the people he has targeted have been walking alone and he has approached from behind without warning.
“Members of the public who have information about this suspect or have spotted someone acting suspiciously who matches his description are advised to call police on 999 and not to approach the man.”
Scotland Yard said one man was arrested on suspicion of GBH at 10.53am in Fore Street.
Enquiries continue to establish if he is the individual behind these incidents. Police were also reportedly searching for a weapon used by the suspected attacker on Monday morning.
Dervish Husseyin, 60, was at his friend’s house on Aberdeen Road when the stabbing took place.
“I seen the woman lying down, face down,” he said, adding: “She said they had beaten her up.”
Husseyin said the woman had “blood on her back” but did not seem to realise she had been stabbed.
“She said she only went out for a walk on her own,” he said.
Natasha Cameron, 45, lives on Aberdeen Road and was walking home from work at a nearby casino after 10pm.
She said she saw officers on her road who told her there had been a stabbing but she was unaware of the later attacks.
“I was ‘oh my God this is the road I live on’,” she said.
Cameron added: “I’m scared now because I always walk here from work home.
“Now I’m definitely taking the bus.”
In a separate incident, an 18-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest following a party at a Hoxton community centre at 11:15pm on Sunday night.
Police described his condition as “serious but stable”. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 quoting CAD 8496/30March, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.