A van struck Muslim worshippers leaving a mosque in north London early Monday morning in what police are investigating as a terrorist attack.
The assault left one man dead and injured at least 10 other pedestrians near the Finsbury Park mosque - one of the country's biggest mosques. The multi-ethnic neighborhood was crowded with Muslims leaving the house of worship after Ramadan prayers around midnight.
The van's 48-year-old driver has been arrested.
>The Guardian reported that it is not clear whether or not the man who died at the scene passed away due to the attack. The elderly man had collapsed at a nearby bus stop and had been receiving first aid when the attack took place.
According to witnesses, the driver had yelled that he wanted to "kill all Muslims," making the incident a suspected hate crime.
United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Theresa May, >announced that the police were treating the incident "as a potential terrorist attack." May added she will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee - a cross-departmental crisis committee that discusses the response to national emergencies - regarding this attack.
London's Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, condemned the incident as a "horrific terrorist attack on innocent people."
Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain described the incident as "the most violent manifestation of Islamophobia in Britain in recent months." They referred to the perpetrator as a "white man" while calling for extra security at places of worship.
Messages of support came pouring in
"Terrorism comes in many forms"
Let's call a spade a spade... This is Islamophobia in full force
Some people noted the double standards in the public's attitude toward terrorism
"Is nothing sacred?"
A grim reminder that Muslims suffer from terrorism firsthand
London's mayor recently highlighted the city's five-fold increase in Islamophobic violence in the wake of last year's London Bridge terror attack.
An Imam demonstrated the true face of Islam
According to The Independent, Imam Mohammed Mahmoud reportedly protected the van driver from being attacked by members of the public who were angered by his act.
A witness said that the crowd might have injured or killed the perpetrator had the imam not intervened.
Not the only horrific hate crime against Muslim worshippers this weekend
On Sunday, police in Virginia, USA, >announced they had found the body of a 17-year-old Muslim girl, Nabra Hassanen, who had been reported missing after leaving a mosque.
Darwin Martinez Torres, 22, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the case. According to media reports, the perpetrator had attacked the victim with a metal baseball bat, striking her to death.