As the vigil in Manchester‘s city centre draws to a close, it has been revealed that Greater Manchester Police have recovered CCTV footage of the bomber entering Manchester Arena.
The footage shows that the explosion, which killed 22 people and injured 59, was deliberate, and caused by a crude, homemade device contained in a bag. Sources say that the device was stable enough to be transported, and was likely to have been made in Britain.
The suspect, named earlier today as Salman Abedi, is said to have had an identity document on his person.
At the vigil in Manchester’s city centre, chief constable Ian Hopkins called the attack “unthinkable”, and then continued on a hopeful note:
“Last night, in the most atrocious circumstances, the people of Greater Manchester showed the world how much we care. How much we care about each other and how much we were prepared to help those in need. And I’ve heard some tremendous stories of doctors coming in to support and police officers, ambulance workers giving up their days off turning up to help those in need.”
The vigil in Manchester was attended by senior political figures such as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, home secretary Amber Rudd and Commons Speaker, John Bercow, as well as by former English cricket captain Freddie Flintoff.
Thank you Manchester. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. pic.twitter.com/d88atzvDwb
— Mayor Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) May 23, 2017
The Press Association are reporting that a corresponding vigil in Birmingham has been interrupted by a man armed with a large knife and a baseball bat.
The crowdfunding campaign from the Manchester Evening News has now raised £555,984 for victims and their families. Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross have also launched an appeal, the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, for those injured or bereaved by the attack, with the Red Cross donating £50,000.
Source: The Guardian
Photo: Leon Neal / Getty
