Terror bombing at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester: What we know
At least 22 people died and 59 were injured after a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device at a concert by the American pop star Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena in northwestern England on Monday night.
It is the worst terrorist attack in the United Kingdom since bombings in London in July 2005 left 56 dead.
Here's what we know so far:
What happened?
The blast occurred just before 10:35 p.m. local time as the concert was wrapping up, according to Greater Manchester Police. The explosion, which happened in the arena's foyer area, sent panicked fans running. People described a scene of chaos and terror.
Was it a terror attack?
Manchester police said this "is currently being treated as terrorist incident until police know otherwise."
Police confirmed it was a suicide bombing.
“The attacker, I can confirm, died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated, causing this atrocity," said Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police.
Who was responsible?
British authorities identified the bomber as Salman Abedi, 22. Abedi lived at a house in southern Manchester where police carried out a controlled explosion Tuesday.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Search International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist activity. However, the claim could not be confirmed as true. Earlier, SITE said that the Islamic State had celebrated the attack on social media.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats says the U.S. government has not yet verified that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is responsible for the Manchester attack.
Was anyone else involved?
British police raided two sites in Manchester on Tuesday and arrested a 23-year-old man at a third location. It is not clear what his involvement might have been.
Have the victims been identified?
There has not been an official release of victim's names, However, local media have begun to identify those killed. The first fatality to be identified was Georgina Callander, 18, from Tarleton in Lancashire, northern England. In 2015, Callander posted a picture of herself posing alongside Grande on Instagram. On Monday before the show she sent a Twitter message to Grande: "So EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW."
Later in the day, an 8-year-old girl, Saffie Rose Roussos, who lived in nearby Leyland, also was named as a victim. John Atkinson, 26, from Bury, in the Greater Manchester area, was the third victim to be named. Online messages paid tribute to an “amazing young man."
MORE ABOUT THE VICTIMS
Terror at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester: Who are the victims?
People turned to social media in an effort to help those affected by the attack, offering everything from places to stay and free taxi rides to phone chargers under the Twitter hashtag #RoomForManchester.
Facebook activated its safety check for people in the area to let friends and loved ones know they are OK.
British police set up an emergency number for those seeking information about loved ones or with any information about the attack at (country code +44) 01618569400.
How did world leaders react?
Local and overseas leaders condemned the attack. British Prime Minister Theresa May called the bombing “cowardly" in a statement made outside her official residence in London.
"This attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives,” she said. Later in the day, she traveled to Manchester to meet local officials.
A message from Queen Elizabeth II was issued on Twitter by Buckingham Palace. "I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured."
President Trump, who is currently on his first foreign trip, condemned the “evil losers” responsible for the attack, which he said preyed on “innocent children.”
He said this “wicked ideology must be obliterated. And I mean completely obliterated." He said “civilized nations must join together to protect human life.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "shocked" by the attack and asked for people to keep the victims and their families in mind.
'Ariana is OK'
Grande, a 23-year-old Floridian whose career started as a teenager, was uninjured in the attack, the singer's record label publicist told the L.A. Times.
"Ariana is OK. We are further investigating what happened," said Joseph Carozza, Grande's publicist with Republic Records, according to the Times.
At 10:51 p.m. ET Grande sent a tweet saying, "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so sorry. i don't have words."
Where is Manchester?
Manchester is located about 200 miles northwest of London. It is one of Britain's largest cities, with a population of about 530,000. The surrounding Greater Manchester area has a population of about 2.8 million.
Manchester, a cultural and sporting powerhouse, is no stranger to terror plots but Monday night’s suicide bombing is the most devastating attack the city has ever encountered, according to May.
In June 1996, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a truck bomb in central Manchester's main shopping area, destroying the famous Arndale shopping center and injuring 200 people. There were no fatalities.
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