A driver who plowed into crowds joyfully celebrating Liverpool football club's Premier League win is being held on suspicion of attempted murder and taking drugs, Merseyside police said Tuesday, May 27. As football fans from the UK and abroad rallied around the port city, the police revealed that 11 people still remained in hospital in stable condition out of the 65 injured in Monday evening. The team's victory parade was ending in the city center when the driver of a Ford Galaxy followed an ambulance through a lifted road-block and plowed into the crowds, Merseyside police said.
A 53-year-old white British man was arrested with police swiftly ruling out terrorism. He was being held "on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs," assistant chief constable Jenny Sims told a press conference. "An extensive investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is ongoing," Sims added.
Messages of support flooded in from around the world on Tuesday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected. You'll never walk alone," said former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, echoing the club's famous anthem which only hours before had echoed joyfully around the city.
King Charles III, who is currently visiting Canada, said he was "deeply shocked and saddened." "It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for so many could end in such distressing circumstances," he said in a statement.