The alleged killer who provoked a terrorism alert in central London on Wednesday night was a mentally ill Norwegian of Somali origin who had recently threatened to hurt himself.
Zakaria Bulhan, 19, who was brought up as a Muslim in south London, is suspected of murdering a 64-year-old American woman who was due to fly back to the US hours later. Five others were injured in a rampage that generated fears of an Islamic-inspired atrocity in Russell Square.
Indicating the edginess about the likelihood of such an attack, Scotland Yard initially said that it was exploring whether there was a terrorist motive and increased police numbers around the capital.
Police later said that the suspect had a history of mental health issues, that there was
