Armed police taser knife-wielding suspect after deadly mass stabbing leaves train passengers fighting for their lives in Huntingdon

What began as an ordinary Saturday evening journey ended in sheer chaos when a train passing through Huntingdon became the scene of a horrifying knife attack.

Passengers who moments earlier were chatting or listening to music suddenly found themselves running for their lives as a man began stabbing people on board.

Passengers Flee as Panic Spreads

At around 7:30 p.m., the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service had just left Peterborough and was heading south when the nightmare unfolded.

Witnesses described hearing screams and shouts of “Run! Run! There’s a guy literally stabbing everyone!” before passengers scrambled to escape.

Some hid inside toilets; others pressed themselves against seats in terror as the attacker moved through the carriage.

One passenger later recalled seeing “blood everywhere” and people desperately trying to flee to safety.

Heroic Act Amid the Chaos

Among the chaos, one older man was reportedly injured while trying to protect a young girl from being stabbed.

According to passenger Olly Foster, who was in coach H, the man stepped in front of the attacker and took the blow to his head and neck. “He was a hero,” Foster said.

“It wasn’t the England I grew up in. That was barbaric.”

Emergency Response in Minutes

British Transport Police (BTP) received the first 999 calls at 7:42 p.m., and within eight minutes, armed officers and emergency crews arrived at Huntingdon Station in Cambridgeshire.

The train driver had pulled the Class 800 Azuma to an emergency stop as terrified passengers poured out.

By that point, at least ten people had been stabbed.

Ambulances rushed the injured to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where nine were initially listed in critical condition. Two victims remain fighting for their lives.

Dramatic Arrest Caught on Camera

Moments later, just outside the station, a man believed to be one of the suspects was tasered and arrested by armed officers in a dramatic confrontation captured on mobile phone video.

The footage, filmed by local taxi driver Viorel Turturica, showed the suspect shouting “Kill me! Kill me!” before being pinned down by police as the sound of the taser crackled through the air.

“They told him to drop the weapon,” Turturica recalled.

“That’s when I started recording. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I saw the scale of the police response.”

Five armed officers can be seen in the video, supported by a police dog unit.

Officers shouted commands and eventually restrained the man on the ground.

Witnesses Describe Sheer Terror

Another passenger, Wren Chambers, described the horrifying moment a man came running down the carriage with blood pouring from his arm.

“At first, I thought it was a Halloween prank,” she admitted.

“Then I saw the wound and realized it was real. People were trying to pack it with hoodies.”

Passengers were told to stay calm as they moved toward the front of the train.

“We all knew the attacker might still be further down,” Chambers said. “Everyone just wanted to get out safely.”

Passengers Tried to Defend Themselves

Olly Foster said he and others tried to find anything they could use as a weapon.

“Someone had a Jack Daniel’s bottle in case the attacker came our way,” he recalled. “I was praying. You could feel everyone’s adrenaline.”

As the train stopped, he saw people covered in blood running toward the exit.

“One guy was holding his stomach, shouting, ‘Help, I’ve been stabbed,’” Foster said. “It felt surreal.

You’re completely unarmed against someone with a knife — maybe even a gun.”

Police Confirm Two Arrests

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that two men — a 32-year-old and a 35-year-old, both black and of Caribbean descent — were arrested.

Officers stressed there was no indication the incident was terrorism-related, though Counter Terrorism Police are assisting the investigation as a precaution.

At one point, officers had briefly declared Code Plato, a protocol for a potential “marauding terrorist attack,” but later withdrew it after assessing the situation.

‘A Shocking Incident,’ Say Police

Superintendent John Loveless of the British Transport Police called the incident “deeply shocking.”

Speaking at the scene on Sunday morning, he said: “Our thoughts are with those who have been injured and their families.

Eleven people have been treated in hospital, and two remain in life-threatening condition.”

He confirmed that four victims had since been discharged.

“We’re working tirelessly to understand the full circumstances and motivation behind this horrific attack,” he added.

Forensics Sweep the Scene

Overnight, forensic teams in white suits combed through the stationary train at Huntingdon, photographing evidence and collecting samples.

Police cordons remained in place on Sunday morning as officers continued questioning witnesses.

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey urged patience: “This will take time.

We’re still piecing together what happened. Please avoid speculation.”

A Town in Shock

Local MP Ben Obese-Jecty said he had “never seen as big a police response” in the area.

Roads were closed around the station, and trains were temporarily suspended.

Residents of Huntingdon — a usually quiet Cambridgeshire market town — woke up to flashing lights, police sirens, and the grim realization that their community had become the site of one of the worst mass stabbings in recent British history.