Manchester Arena Explosion Leaves 22 Dead
An explosion at Manchester’s popular arena after an Ariana Grande concert killed 22 people and injured more than 50 others.
Last night, following an encore performance at an Ariana Grande concert, an explosion went off in the rotunda area outside the Manchester Arena venue. Twenty-two people were killed and more than 50 others were injured due to the incident in England.
Police believe a suicide-bomber is to blame for the attack that has since been claimed by ISIS. The bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near one of the venue’s exits at 10:33 p.m. local time, according to authorities.
Video shot inside of the venue shows people beginning to leave their seats as the house lights come on following the performance from Grande. As people flood to the exits, a loud blast can be heard followed by screams of concert goers. Panic spreads around the stadium as families with children and teens run from the blast site.
The Greater Manchester Police have said they are investigating the incident as an act of terrorism and, as of Tuesday morning, believe they know the identity of the suicide-bomber. They have arrested at least one person related to the incident and warrants have been served for others who may have information on the motive of the attack.
The Manchester Arena is one of the most popular arenas in England with a maximum capacity of 21,000 people. Since the terror threat in England has been significantly high, stadiums have been operating out of an abundance of caution when it comes to security. It is unclear how the suicide-bomber was able to gain entrance into the arena.
Police have begun to identify the victims in the explosion, the first to be named was 18-year-old Georgina Callander followed by eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos. The performer, Grande, was unharmed in the incident.
As a result of the events in Manchester, United States security teams beefed up security at concerts around the country. In Dallas, Grand Prairie PD said they would be deploying more officers to Verizon Theatre where John Legend was set to perform.