British police search for three women killed in ‘crossbow attack’

Hertfordshire Police said officers were called to a house in the town where the three women, aged 25, 28 and 61, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police Chief Jon Simpson said armed officers and specialist search teams were involved in the hunt. He urged Clifford to contact police and asked the public not to approach him.

He spoke of a “horrific incident” in which a crossbow was probably involved, but other weapons may also have been used.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deaths as “truly shocking” and said she would be kept updated on the status of the investigation.

A neighbor told reporters that the victims were a family friend.

“We saw them walking by every day and they said ‘good morning,'” she said. “It’s really sad what happened, very shocking.”

You do not need a license to own a crossbow in the UK, but it is illegal to carry a crossbow in public without a valid reason.

In March, a 47-year-old man was arrested after two people were injured in separate crossbow attacks in London’s trendy Shoreditch district.

During a search of the suspect’s house, a crossbow, knives and other weapons were found, police said at the time.

In the most famous case of the crossbow incident, Jaswant Singh Chail was jailed last year after admitting attempting to kill the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 when he entered the grounds of Windsor Castle with a fully loaded crossbow.

aks/phz/rl