UK arrests suspect after crossbow triple homicide

British police said Wednesday that they had arrested a 26-year-old male suspected of killing three women in the northwestern London suburb of Bushey a day prior.

The women, aged 25, 28 and 61, were found gravely injured in their home in the neighborhood on Tuesday evening and despite efforts by police and emergency services technicians, all three died at the scene.

The deceased were the wife and daughters of BBC Radio horse racing commentator John Hunt, who discovered the women upon returning from work at Lingfield Park Racecourse south of London.

Police said the suspect had been located in the Enfield area of north London, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from the scene of the crime. He recieved medical treatment after being found with injuries. No shots were fired by police.

Police name suspect

Hertfordshire police named 26-year-old Kyle Clifford, as its main suspect.

"Following extensive enquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time," Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the local Major Crime Unit said in a statement.

Clifford is believed to have used a crossbow and other weapons in committing the crime.

In an earlier public statement, Hertfordshire Police Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson said the manhunt involved, "armed police officers and specialist search teams responding at pace in the wake of what has been an horrific incident."

UK media outlets have reported that the suspect, who is from London, was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters, though police have yet to make any statements about possible motives or relations between the suspect and the victims, only that Clifford was "known to the victims" and that the attack had been "targeted."

The BBC reported that Clifford had served a short stint in the British army, leaving service in 2022.

Yvette Cooper, the UK's new home secretary, called the incident "truly shocking" adding that she was being kept "fully informed."

A statement from a Home Office spokesperson said Cooper would "swiftly consider" findings from a recent review of the prospect of introducing enhanced controls for the possession of crossbows.

Currently, a person is not required to have a license to purchase one, though it is illegal to carry them in public without legitimate reason.

js/lo (AP, Reuters)