Liverpool Parade Crash: Man Arrested as Car Ploughs into Crowd Celebrating

A car drove into a large crowd of Liverpool supporters in the city center in the United Kingdom during Monday's Premier League football title celebration.Police have confirmed that a man had been taken into custody in connection with the incident. Officials said later on Monday that 27 people, including four children, were hospitalized. Two are in serious condition. Twenty others were treated at the scene due to various injuries.British police added during a press conference on Monday that the incident is not being treated as terrorism.The ContextAuthorities stated they were responding to reports that a vehicle struck "a number of pedestrians" just after the team's open-top bus, carrying players and coaching staff, passed through the area. The parade had drawn tens of thousands of fans into the streets to mark Liverpool's league triumph.What To KnowMerseyside Police wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday afternoon that the arrested individual was a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area. Officials have not released the subject's name.A video on social media appeared to show a gray minivan strike at least one pedestrian before veering into a crowd of people.Harry Rashid, who attended the event with his wife and two daughters, said the car began ramming into him about 10 feet away from him."It was extremely fast," he told the Associated Press. "Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car."Emergency services also responded to the scene.What People Are SayingIn a statement, as reported by the BBC, North West Ambulance Service described what happened in Liverpool as a "major incident": "Earlier this evening, we received a call to attend an incident in Liverpool. Our crew is working closely with the other agencies involved, including the Police and North West Ambulance Service. Our priority is the well-being of those involved and our thoughts are with those affected by the incident."Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this appalling incident in the city center. It has cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day. We are working closely with Merseyside Police to support their investigation, and with other relevant organizations to make sure who's affected get the appropriate support."British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X on Monday: "The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident."Parade-goer Harry Rashid in comments to the Associated Press: "My daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground. They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade."What Happens Next?Starmer said he is being kept updated on the latest developments and asked the public to give police "the space they need to investigate."Merseyside Police asked people on X not to speculate as "extensive" inquiries into the circumstances leading up to the incident are ongoing. Police also asked people not to share "distressing content online" and to instead share the footage or information with the Merseyside Police Contact Center.Last summer, a teenager in the nearby town of Southport fatally stabbed three girls during a dance class and injured 10 others, including two adults. Misinformation quickly circulated on social media, falsely identifying the suspect and claiming he was an asylum seeker. In reality, the attacker was U.K.-born. The false narrative fueled a wave of unrest across England and Northern Ireland, leading to riots that targeted Muslims and refugees, particularly at hotels housing asylum seekers, with the violence lasting for approximately a week.Update 5/26/25, 3:46 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.Update 5/26/25, 5:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.Update 5/26/25, 5:44 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional remarks.Update 5/26/25, 6:14 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected].