MANCHESTER, UK (CelebrityAccess) — A suicide bomber killed 23 people, including himself, and injured 59 in a deadly terror attack at Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night.
The alleged bomber struck just after the show ended, detonating the device near the entrance to the 21,000-seat arena around 10:30 p.m., as scores of music fans, were leaving the venue.
“We now know that a single terrorist detonated his improvised explosive device near one of the exits of the venue, deliberately choosing the time and place to cause maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately,” Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain said in a televised statement.
“The explosion coincided with the conclusion of a pop concert, which was attended by many young families and groups of children,” Mrs. May added. “This attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice — deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives.”
Since the bombing, terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via social media, according to the New York Times and SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militants’ communications, who also provided a translation of the claim.
Following the attack, Manchester police raided a home in the Chorlton-cum-Hardy neighborhood, southwest of the city center and arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the incident, the Greater Manchester police said.
A rep for Grande told Variety that the performer was physically unharmed in the attack. Grande was performing at the arena as a part of her current 'Dangerous Woman' tour. – Staff Writers
