THE alleged Golders Green knifeman has been named as a Somalia-born migrant with a “history of violence”.
Essa Suleiman, 45, was arrested yesterday after allegedly stabbing two Jewish men during a rampage in the North London suburb.
Met Police chief Mark Rowley revealed the suspect – a Brit national born in Somalia – had a “history of serious violence and mental health issues”.
The Sun understands Suleiman, a Somali translator, came to the UK legally as a child from Somalia in the 1990s.
And he was known to Prevent, the government’s anti-terror and deradicalisation programme, the Met confirmed today.
Suleiman, from South East London, was referred in 2020, but his case was closed later that year.
Golders Green was plunged into lockdown yesterday after two men, aged 34 and 76, were stabbed in a terror attack.
Local police and armed officers rushed to the scene at 11.16am – after the rampage unfolded in just four minutes – before detaining the suspect.
The two victims – named as Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine – were treated at the scene for stab wounds before being rushed to hospital.
Sir Keir Starmer slammed the rampage as “appalling”, adding that the Jewish community had suffered “yet another vile, terrorist attack”.
Addressing the nation today, the PM said the attack was “not a one off… there have been a series of attacks”.
He said: “And so people are scared, scared to show who they are in their community, scared to go to synagogue to practice their religion…
“Scared to go to university as a Jew, to send their children to school as a Jew, to tell their colleagues that they are Jewish, even to use our NHS.
“Nobody should live like that in Britain, but Jews do.
“And so yesterday, this anxiety that is always there went to another place, to terror, frankly. That is the right word.”
The PM added those attending pro-Palestine marches “alongside people who say ‘globalise the intifada’… are calling for terrorism against Jews”.
And when quizzed on the Prevent programme, Sir Keir admitted the Government needed to be “open to learning lessons”.
He continued: “The investigation is obviously still ongoing, and so we haven’t got all the facts yet.
“But prevent was reviewed and we made changes after the Southport attack.
“We need to be open to learning any further lessons that may come out of this investigation, but we’re a very early stage at this point.”
Sir Keir was earlier met with chants calling him a “traitor” in the wake of the antisemitic terror attack as he arrived in the area.
Chants against Sir Keir could be heard as he arrived at Hatzola Northwest Ambulance depot on Finchley Road.
Police had to hold back dozens of angry protesters as the PM arrived alongside his Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Placards showed Starmer’s face on a mask being held by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with the words “Keir Starmer Jew Harmer”.
Speaking after the terror attack, the Met Commissioner was also heckled by Jewish Londoners chanting “shame on you!”.
Mr Rowley, drowned out by calls for him to resign, said: “The 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
“(He) remains in custody following a check-up at the local hospital.
“He has a history of serious violence and mental health issues, and that investigation continues.”
Heroic members of Shomrim – the Jewish community volunteer security organisation – said they “immobilised the suspect with a vehicle”.
They then helped detain the alleged knifeman until officers arrived.
One of the alleged victims, Moshe Shine, was attacked while waiting to go home by bus at the bus stop, a member of the Jewish community said.
A friend of the 76-year-old said he was “very softly spoken. Very generous. He’s a very nice, smiley guy.
“Really the nicest guy. He never lost his temper or raised his voice.”
