London Police on the hunt for crossbow attack suspect

London Police said on Friday that officers were urgently hunting a suspect who injured two people in separate attacks with a crossbow this month in the trendy Shoreditch neighbourhood.

The victims – a 44-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man – have both now left hospital after receiving treatment for injuries that the police force said were not life-threatening or life-changing.

The incidents, the first on 4 March and the second on Thursday, have been “linked” due to “the nature and location of both”, the Met said.

No other similar incidents have been reported, it noted.

LONDON POLICE CALLED FOR WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD

“There are significant efforts to find whoever carried out these assaults, and we are committed to keeping the community updated over the coming days, as we know how worrying this is,” Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said.

He added his team of detectives and other officers were working to identify witnesses and explore CCTV and forensic “opportunities”.

Conway appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

In the first assault, on the evening of Monday, 4 March, the 44-year-old woman was hit in the head as she crossed the road on a residential street in Shoreditch.

Ten days later, at a similar time in the evening, the 20-year-old man was left with a neck injury after being struck by a crossbow bolt around 200 feet away on another residential street.

SAPeople will monitor the progress of the investigation and keep readers informed.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse