The suicide bomber who brought carnage to the Manchester Arena has been named as Salman Abedi.
Police confirmed his name after armed officers carried out a dramatic raid on the redbrick semi in south Manchester where the 22-year-old was registered as living. Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said detectives were working to establish whether Abedi, whose attack left 22 people dead, including an eight-year-old girl, was working alone.
He said: “I can confirm that the man suspected of carrying out last night’s atrocity has been named as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. “However, he has not yet been formally identified and I wouldn’t wish, therefore, to comment further. “The priority remains to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.”
Earlier, the Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the explosion that tore through fans leaving an Ariana Grande pop concert in Manchester.
During the day, armed officers raided the address of Abedi, ordering residents indoors as they carried out a controlled explosion. Elsmore Road, where Abedi was registered as living, became the center of the investigation into Monday’s outrage as detectives hunted those thought to be behind the blast. The suspect was named by US security services in Washington, as those who live on the red-bricked semi-detached street said they know little about those who reside at the address.
Mrs May said “many” children were among the dead and 59 injured in the bombing at the Manchester Arena on Monday night as thousands of young people streamed from the venue. Her statement came moments before police disclosed that a 23-year-old man was arrested in South Manchester on Tuesday morning in connection with the bombing.
The first confirmed fatality was 18-year-old sixth form student Georgina Callender, an Ariana Grande “superfan” from Lancashire who met her idol in 2015 and was excited to see her on stage last night. An eight-year-old girl, Saffie Rose Roussos, was also confirmed as having been killed after becoming separated from her mother and sister. Meanwhile, relatives of at least 13 people missing after the attack – including an eight-year-old girl – have launched frantic searches for their loved ones.
Victims earlier told how an improvised explosive device carried by the attacker caused them to be thrown by the blast, which scattered nuts and bolts across the floor of the foyer area. The General Election campaign has been suspended in the wake of the terror attack, which the Queen said had left the “whole nation” shocked by the “act of barbarity”.
Police have appealed for concert-goers and witnesses to provide police with footage from the scene if they believe it can assist the probe – as well as any dashcam footage taken in Manchester city center between 8pm and 11pm.
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