A 32-year-old man, Anthony Williams, has been charged with attempted murder and other serious offenses following a violent stabbing spree on a train in the UK. The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, left 11 people injured, with one victim in a critical but stable condition. The attack unfolded as the train journeyed from Doncaster to London, with passengers describing scenes of panic and fear as the knifeman struck. Williams, a British citizen from Peterborough, was arrested in Huntingdon, eastern England, within eight minutes of the first emergency calls. He is also facing charges related to an earlier incident at a London transit station, where a victim suffered facial injuries from a knife attack.
The British Transport Police have charged Williams with 10 counts of attempted murder, one of actual bodily harm, and one of possession of a bladed article. The authorities are treating the train stabbings as an isolated incident, but heightened security measures have been implemented at major train stations. The government has rejected calls for airport-style passenger and baggage screening, citing practicality and proportionality concerns.
The UK's strict gun-control laws are notable, with almost half of all homicides involving knives or sharp instruments. The government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has committed to reducing knife crime by tightening knife-purchase regulations and banning certain blade types. Despite these efforts, the number of knife killings has decreased by over 20% in the year to March 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics.
