| Kingsbury High School stabbing | |
|---|---|
Kingsbury High School stabbing | |
| Location | Kingsbury High School, Brent, London, United Kingdom |
| Date | 10 February 2026 c. 12:40 p.m. (GMT) |
Attack type | |
| Weapons | knife |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 2 |
| Motive | Under investigation |
| Accused | 13-year-old male |
| Charges |
|
On 10 February 2026, two students were injured after being stabbed in the neck at Kingsbury High School in the London Borough of Brent. [1] [2] A 13-year-old suspect was arrested later that day. [1] [3] The two victims were taken to hospital in critical condition, with one eventually recovering to stability. [3]
Kingsbury High School is a large two site secondary school in Kingsbury, a district of Brent. The "Lower school" site teaches year 7 to year 9 students, and the "Upper school" site teaches year 10 to 13's. The attack took place at the Lower school.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., the suspect, whose identity is currently withheld, requested access to a first floor classroom. [4] [5] Once inside, he sprayed the face of the pupil who had opened the door with a noxious substance, [6] before abruptly stabbing a 13-year-old in the neck and hands. [1] [5] [7] [8] Following this, the suspect fled the school, not before stabbing another 12-year-old pupil in the school yard. [1] [7] [9] The substance that was sprayed was later stated to be Insect repellent. [3] [10]
Armed police units arrived approximately 13 minutes later, and a manhunt around the local area was soon launched. [2] [4] [7] Some child witnesses reported the student shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack. [1] The critically injured victims were rushed to hospital. One of the victims had managed to pull the fire alarm as he was attacked, possibly saving more lives. [1]
Around six hours later, 999 calls were made to the police from a nearby mosque reporting a child showing "distressing" behaviour. [1] [3] [11] Upon arriving at the mosque, a link to the stabbing was made, and the 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. [1] [2] [3] Police stated they did not believe the suspect had a connection to the mosque. [2]
Whilst recovering in hospital, the victim who had pulled the fire alarm during the attack was labelled as a "hero" during an official police statement on the incident. [1] One of the victims was later described as stable. [3]
Counter Terrorism Policing began leading the investigation, however it was later stated that officers were instead leaning towards a motive of a personal grievance. [2] [5] [12] Over 40 eyewitnesses and CCTV footage began to be interviewed and investigated the day after the stabbing. [2]
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, issued a statement via X stating "My thoughts are with the families, friends and wider Brent community following today’s appalling stabbings". [13] Prime Minister Keir Starmer would later call the attack "appalling" whilst speaking in the House of Commons. [1]
Metropolitan Police have described the lead suspect as a 13-year-old male who was born in and is a legal resident of the United Kingdom. [2] The suspect had attended the school in the past, but was not currently a pupil. [1] [2] He climbed over a fence to gain access to the school, and worn his former uniform as a disguise. [14]
Metropolitan Police have told people to avoid speculation surrounding the motive of the attack. [2] The suspect was officially charged on 12 February 2026 with: possession of a knife on school premises; 1 count of administering a noxious thing; and 2 counts of attempted murder. [10] He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court later in the day, speaking only to confirm his name and date of birth. [3] [8] [15] During the hearing, it was stated that the suspect had recorded the attacks using his mobile phone which was positioned in his blazer. [6] [9] was made, however it was noted that no evidence that he had shared the footage was found. [8] [9]
The suspect appeared before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey on 27 February 2026. [6] [8] [16] He once again spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. [6] [16] A plea hearing is scheduled to take place on 3 July 2026, and a trial lasting up to three weeks will begin on 23 November 2026. [6]