LONDON — UK police are combing through “massive amounts of computer data” and more than 2,500 items seized in searches across the country as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament
London’s top counterterror officer Mark Rowley said the attacker, Khalid Masood, previously used the name Adrian Russell Ajao. In a briefing outside Scotland Yard he also announced two more “significant” arrests had been made. That brings the total number of people in custody for the Wednesday attack to nine.
“We’ve seized 2,700 items from these searches, including massive amounts of computer data for us to work through,” Rowley said, adding that contact had been made with 3,500 witnesses.
“We’ve received hundreds of uploads of video images to our online platform. Given this attack was in the heart of the capital we also, of course, are dealing with statements from a wide range of nationalities.”
Masood drove his car into crowds of people on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon before stabbing a police officer to death at the Houses of Parliament. He was shot dead by police.
Police say three civilians and the police officer died, while 31 people required hospital treatment.
The 52-year-old attacker was born in southeastern England and had most recently been living in the central city of Birmingham, where several properties have been searched by police.
Rowley said police want “to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.”
Police believe Masood acted alone, but Rowley said police are investigating whether he “acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.”
Police say Masood has used several aliases and had a string of convictions between 1983 and 2003 for offenses including assault and possession of an offensive weapon.
Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that Masood was “investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism” some years ago. But she called him “a peripheral figure.”
“Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, his operation and his associates,” Rowley told reporters.
Born Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent to the southeast of London on Christmas Day in 1964, he moved though several addresses in England, although he was known to have lived recently in Birmingham in central England.
The Daily Mail newspaper said he was brought up by his single mother in the town of Rye on England’s south coast, later converting to Islam and changing his name. Other media reports said he was a married father of three and a former English teacher who was into bodybuilding.
Known by a number of aliases, he racked up a string of convictions, but none for terrorism-related offenses. His occupation was unclear.
It was as long ago as November 1983 that he first came to the attention of authorities when he was found guilty of causing criminal damage, while his last conviction came 14 years ago in December 2003 for possession of a knife.
A former neighbor from Birmingham said: “When I saw the pictures on TV and in the papers of the man who carried out the attack, I recognized him as the man who used to live next door.”
“He had a young child, who I’d think was about 5 or 6 years old. There was a woman living there with him, an Asian woman. He seemed to be quite nice, he would be taking care of his garden and the weeds,” Iwona Romek, 45, told reporters at her home.
In December, she said, he suddenly moved out.
The car Masood used in Wednesday’s attack had been hired from rental firm Enterprise’s Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, suggesting he still had connections to the area.
Masood may have rented an apartment close to the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, not far from the Enterprise offices, and that was one of the properties raided by armed officers. — Agencies
