Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Sunday, 17th November 2024, at 19:45hrs
The suspect is believed to be known to one of the victims killed in early morning double stabbing
Police chief reassures community following a horrific knife attack that left two men dead in the street on Sunday morning.
Responding to calls that two men had suffered stab wounds, officers arrived on Great Southern Street around 5am and found both men in the street seriously injured. Despite the best efforts of first responders, both sadly died at the scene.
This incident has sent shockwaves across the community of Moss Side and beyond. Residents woken up to find police swarming the area with police tape strewn across the streets and two forensic tents erected in the middle of the road.
One resident who did not want to be named was shocked and horrified to hear about the double stabbing, saying that she felt unsafe living in the area following this incident.
Forensics examiners have been scouring the area for the majority of the day, and the scene remains in place this evening.
Police chiefs have thanked the local community for their cooperation and said they are working hard to get those whose daily lives have been affected back to normal as swiftly as possible.
In a statement released this evening Greater Manchester Police said:
“Early this morning at around 5am (17 November), officers were called to reports that two people that had suffered stab wounds on Great Southern Street in Moss Side.
Emergency services attended and despite the best efforts of first responders, two men were treated at the scene for their injuries but sadly both pronounced dead.
We currently have one 23-year-old man in our custody arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody for questioning, and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Through initial enquiries, we believe that the suspect and one of the victims were known to each another.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, district commander for the City of Manchester division, said: “This morning, two lives have been lost in our community, and our thoughts go to their families who have lost a loved one today.
“We are treating this as an isolated incident with no threat to the wider public.
“We have launched a murder investigation, and detectives from our Major Incident Team continue to work diligently conducting CCTV trawls and speaking to witnesses to find out what has happened to the victims.
“We swiftly made an arrest this morning and we are not looking for anyone else in relation to this.
“We understand the shockwaves that this devastating news will have caused in the local community and further afield across Greater Manchester. We have placed a number of local neighbourhood officers in the area to conduct visible patrols to reassure the community.
“If you have any concerns, please speak to them, they are there to lend a listening ear.
“I’d like to thank the local community who have all really pulled together and cooperated with our enquiries.
“We also understand that our cordon may prevent people from going about their daily lives, officers are working hard to ensure that the community can return to normality as swiftly as possible.
“If you have any information that may be able to assist our enquiries, please get in touch with our officers. Please don’t assume that we know already, any small piece of information may be vital for our Major Incident Team detectives to find out what happened this morning.
“We thank the public for their cooperation and patience as there is a cordon in place on Great Southern Street and into the surrounding area. We are asking the public to continue avoiding the area as there is a large emergency service presence while we establish the full circumstances of the incident this morning.”
Anyone with information that could assist officers as they make enquiries should contact us on 101 quoting 553 of 17/11/24.
In a statement released by Deputy Mayor for Manchester Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice & Fire said:
“I offer my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the stabbings on Great Southern Street, Moss Side, this morning.
I would also like to thank the front-line staff from Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service who were at the scene, and repeat GMP’s assurances that this is being treated as an isolated incident and is not an ongoing threat.
GMP have taken swift action and currently have a man in custody suspected to be responsible for the attack. They are not currently looking for anyone else in connection to the incident.
I want to reassure the community who will inevitably be shocked and concerned by the attack this morning, that GMP have increased visibility and are working hard with partners to ensure residents in Greater Manchester are safe now, and in the future.”
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