Police are conducting a manhunt after three women were killed in a crossbow attack in Britain

London — Police in England were searching on Wednesday for a 26-year-old man they believe may be armed with a crossbow in connection with a triple murder.

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement that officers were called to a property in Bushey, north-west London, shortly before 7pm (2pm Eastern time) on Tuesday, where they found three women seriously injured.

Three ambulances and other emergency vehicles, including a hazardous area response team and two rescue helicopters, were dispatched to the property, but all three women, believed to be relatives, died at the scene, police said.

On Wednesday, officers were still searching for a man named Kyle Clifford and urged anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact emergency services. Police advised people not to approach Clifford as “he may still be in possession of a weapon.”

The attack was carried out with a crossbow, Hertfordshire Police Chief Jon Simpson said on Wednesday, adding that other weapons may have been used.

Police did not say whether the women, aged 25, 28 and 61, knew Clifford, but said it was likely a targeted incident.

In a live television broadcast on Wednesday, Simpson addressed Clifford directly, saying: “Kyle, if you see or hear this, please get in touch.” She also urged him to call the UK emergency number 999.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the most senior government official responsible for law enforcement, said in a social media post that she would be kept “fully updated” on the case and urged anyone with information to contact police.

“The loss of three women’s lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed and with the community,” she said.

“We are very shocked,” councillor Laurence Brass told CBS affiliate BBC News. “We are not used to this kind of thing in this area, it’s a very typical leafy suburb of Bushey… and suddenly we are being told there have been three murders. Last night a helicopter landed at the end of my street, there were police everywhere. So I am worried for the local residents who I think are a little traumatised by what is happening here.”

Crossbows are legal in the UK and no license or registration is required to own one. However, it is illegal to carry a crossbow in public without a valid reason.