Golders Green stabbings: Jewish men attacked in terrorist incident, 2026

Key Points

• Two Jewish men, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in an attack police have declared a terrorist incident.
• The victims, named locally as Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, are in a stable condition in hospital.
• A 45‑year‑old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held under the Terrorism Act.
• The Metropolitan Police responded at 11:16 BST on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, to reports of stabbings on Highfield Avenue, off Golders Green Road.
• CCTV and body‑cam footage show the suspect jogging along Highfield Avenue at 11:15 BST, then chasing and attacking a man, and later repeatedly stabbing another man at a bus stop.
• Incident‑response and armed officers confronted the suspect, who attempted to stab them; he was Tasered, then subdued by police, who also administered CPR.
• The suspect, a British national born in Somalia, is reported to have a history of serious violence and mental‑health issues.
• The stabbing follows a spate of recent arson attacks on Jewish‑owned properties in London, raising fears of an antisemitic terror surge.
• Jewish security group Shomrim stated the suspect appeared to be “looking for” Jewish people and was attempting to stab Jewish members of the public.
• Senior police officers, including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, have praised officers’ conduct as “extraordinary” and highlighted the suspect’s refusal to show his hands and continued threat.

Golders Green (The Londoner News) April 30, 2026 – Two Jewish men have been stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in an attack the Metropolitan Police have declared a terrorist incident, prompting a major counter‑terrorism investigation and heightening fears of a rising tide of antisemitic violence in the capital. The victims, aged 34 and 76 and identified locally as Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine, were seriously wounded but remain in a stable condition in hospital, while a 45‑year‑old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held under terrorism‑related powers.

As reported by staff at the BBC, officers were dispatched at 11:16 BST on Wednesday after receiving 999 calls reporting people stabbed on Highfield Avenue, a residential street running off Golders Green Road in the London Borough of Barnet. The attack unfolded in broad daylight, with neighbours and passers‑by sharing footage and images that quickly circulated on social media, prompting swift verification by BBC’s Verify team.

What happened in Golders Green?

According to the Metropolitan Police, the first sighting of the suspect comes from CCTV filmed on Highfield Avenue timestamped at 11:15 BST, just before the first calls reached emergency services.

In the footage, the man is seen jogging along the pavement towards Golders Green Road; within seconds, he appears to lunge at a man, who flees out of view, prompting what investigators now describe as a “targeted” sequence of attacks.

As detailed by reporters at the BBC, a second clip, taken from a car travelling north along Golders Green Road, shows the suspect chasing a man on the pavement, appearing to strike him repeatedly before both move out of frame. Another piece of CCTV, timestamped at 11:20 BST, captures the suspect approaching a bus stop and launching a sustained assault on a man waiting there, before pushing him on to the road and out of sight of the camera. Witnesses later told ITV News correspondent Luba Lesnie, who filed from the scene, that they heard screaming and saw the man trying to help others, shouting “be careful” as the attacker pursued his victims.

How did police respond and arrest the suspect?

As reported by the Metropolitan Police in an official statement, local officers and armed‑response units arrived at Highfield Avenue within minutes of the stabbing reports, encountering a dangerous and volatile scene. The suspect, armed with a knife, attempted to stab responding officers, but none of the police were injured.

Verifiable footage later shared by the BBC and ITV News shows officers confronting the man, shouting “drop the knife, drop the f***ing knife” before deploying a Taser, which sends the suspect to the ground. In the body‑cam sequence released by the Met, officers can be heard continuing to issue orders as the suspect is restrained, with one officer saying “Yeah, I got it” after the knife is seen being cast aside.

Paramedics administered CPR at the scene before the man was stretchered into an ambulance, with police confirming he was arrested under the Terrorism Act and remains in custody for questioning.

A senior Met Police source, quoted by an unnamed reporter in the Independent, said the suspect had “a history of serious violence and mental‑health problems,” and that officers believed he may have been carrying an explosive device, heightening the risk they faced.

The Independent article carried an attribution line stating that Britain’s most senior police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, later described the officers’ actions as “nothing short of extraordinary,” underscoring the peril they endured confronting an armed and determined attacker.

Who are the victims and what is their condition?

The two men stabbed in Golders Green are described by the BBC as aged 34 and 76, with local community sources and news outlets identifying them as Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine. Both were treated by the London Ambulance Service at the scene before being taken to hospital, where they remain in a stable but serious condition.

As reported by a BBC correspondent in north London, community leaders and members of the Orthodox Jewish population in Golders Green have described the men as known and respected members of the area’s tightly knit religious community, with some neighbours expressing shock that the victims had been targeted in broad daylight near local shops and schools. Security groups such as Shomrim, a Jewish‑led volunteer patrol, have told ITV News that the suspect was

“attempting to stab Jewish members of the public,”

indicating that the assaults may have been motivated by antisemitic animus.

Why has the attack been labelled a terrorist incident?

Metropolitan Police officers have categorised the stabbing as a terrorist incident, according to a statement issued by the Met’s counter‑terrorism command and relayed by BBC and ITV News. In the official release, police said they were investigating

“whether the attack was specifically aimed at the Jewish community,”

a line that has been repeated by multiple outlets including the Independent and French daily Le Monde, which carried a report by foreign affairs editor Claire Léonard‑Laguardia on the broader antisemitic climate in London.

As quoted by the Independent, national security sources with knowledge of the inquiry said investigators are examining the suspect’s online activity, contacts, and any potential links to extremist networks, while also studying the possibility of an ideologically driven motive. French‑language coverage in Le Monde, citing statements from unnamed UK security officials, noted that this classification reflects concerns that the attack fits patterns seen in recent lone‑actor terrorism where individuals target specific religious or ethnic groups.

What do the CCTV and body‑cam videos show?

BBC Verify has compiled a timeline and map of the suspect’s movements, drawing on CCTV from Highfield Avenue and Golders Green Road, plus footage from passing vehicles and body‑cam recordings. The initial CCTV at 11:15 BST shows the man in grey trousers and a navy jacket, carrying a beige rucksack, jogging along Highfield Avenue before attacking a man who runs out of shot.

ITV News correspondent Jude Sherratt, who obtained supplementary footage, reported that additional clips show the suspect continuing to chase a man around parked cars shortly after the first stabbing, reinforcing witnesses’ accounts that he appeared to be pursuing specific individuals.

The Met’s own body‑cam release, as described by a BBC reporter, shows the suspect approaching officers, ignoring commands to “drop the knife,” and then being Tasered and restrained.

The Evening Standard’s online coverage, filed by crime reporter Nina Dyer, also highlighted a video clip tweeted by the Met in which an officer can be clearly heard shouting “drop the knife” repeatedly, underscoring the immediacy of the threat and the split‑second decisions officers faced.

Could the stabbings be linked to wider antisemitic violence?

Community leaders and security groups have raised alarms that the Golders Green stabbing may be part of a wider wave of antisemitic attacks in London.

As reported by Le Monde journalist Claire Léonard‑Laguardia, the incident follows a series of arson attacks on Jewish‑owned properties in the capital over recent weeks, which Jewish organisations have described as “systematic” and “cowardly.”

ITV News, citing Shomrim, reported that the suspect was “looking for” people perceived to be Jewish, and that local patrol volunteers who monitor streets in the area have since stepped up their presence in Golders Green and surrounding neighbourhoods.

An unnamed senior counter‑terrorism officer, quoted by the Independent reporter, said authorities are urgently assessing whether these stabbings and arson cases are connected or part of a broader campaign of hate‑driven violence.

What is the background of the suspect?

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the 45‑year‑old suspect is a British national born in Somalia, as reported by the BBC and later echoed by the Independent. Police have also revealed that he has a prior history of serious violence and mental‑health issues, details that have been confirmed by an unnamed senior officer speaking to the Independent.

As reported by the Evening Standard’s crime desk, officers executed a search at an address in south‑east London said to be connected to the suspect, after he was reportedly involved in an “altercation with another person” earlier in the day. The Met has not disclosed the nature of that prior incident, stating that the investigation remains ongoing and that detectives are analysing all available evidence, including phone records and online posts.

How has the Jewish community reacted?

Reactions from the Jewish community in north London have ranged from shock to anger, according to coverage by the BBC and Le Monde. Local rabbis and community leaders have told BBC reporters that members of the Golders Green Orthodox community are “terrified” about walking in the streets, even in areas long regarded as safe.

A senior representative of Shomrim, speaking to ITV News correspondent Jude Sherratt, said the group had been monitoring the area for weeks and that the suspect’s behaviour before the attack—“looking for” Jewish‑appearing individuals—was consistent with reports of prior suspicious activity. French newspaper Le Monde, quoting Jewish community leaders in London, reported that many families are now reconsidering synagogue attendance and school routes, fearing further attacks.

What does this mean for security in London?

As the counter‑terrorism investigation continues, senior police are emphasising the need for vigilance without panic. In a statement quoted by the Independent, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:

“The public should remain alert but not alarmed; our officers and partners are working round the clock to understand the full nature of this attack and to protect the community.”

BBC correspondents have reported that the Met has increased patrols in Golders Green and other Jewish‑majority neighbourhoods, while urging anyone with further footage or information to contact the incident hotline.

The incident has also prompted renewed debate in Parliament and the media over how to combat antisemitic extremism and lone‑actor terrorism, with several MPs cited by the Independent warning that the government must do more to protect minority communities.

Public‑safety messaging, as relayed by the BBC and ITV News, stresses that anyone who feels threatened should call 999 or report anonymously through the Met’s website, and that police are treating any antisemitic or hate‑motivated behaviour as a top‑priority concern. For residents of Golders Green, the stabbing marks a painful collision between a usually quiet suburban life and the stark realities of modern terrorism, leaving a community grappling with fear, grief, and demands for answers.