A homemade bomb exploded shortly before 11: GMT on Remembrance Sunday and killed David Perry, a taxi driver, passenger. The man behind this unfortunate incident was believed to be carrying a mysterious device into a taxi and died on the spot.
The authorities have now stated that the attack had been declared a terrorist incident, but further investigation is still going on to determine the motivation for the bombing.
Priti Patel, Home Secretary, recently stated that the threat level had been raised to severe, which means that the attack is highly likely as the bombing in Liverpool was the second incident over in a month.
The first incident, which was treated as a terrorist attack by the police, was sparked by the death of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who was brutally stabbed several times during a meeting with his constituents on October 15 in Essex.
Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, mentioned that the taxi passenger appeared to have manufactured an improvised explosive device.
Currently, the authorities have identified the attacker’s identity but would not release any confirmation at the moment.
Conversely, four men have been arrested in the city under the Terrorism Act following the ongoing investigation.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, recently declared an emergency Cobra meeting to address the bombing and described it as a sickening attack. He shared that it was a reminder for the public to remain vigilant and added that the British people would never be cowed by terrorism.
Mr. Jackson, an eyewitness, said that a Delta Taxis driver, Mr. Perry, picked up a passenger in Rutland Avenue, near Sefton Park, on Sunday.
“As the taxi approached the drop-off point at the hospital, an explosion occurred from within the car. This quickly engulfed it in flames. Remarkably, the taxi driver escaped from the cab,” he added.
Perry’s wife also shared through a Facebook post that her husband was lucky to survive the incident.
“The explosion happened while he was in the car, and how he managed to escape is an utter miracle,” she added.
Additionally, Jackson said that the taxi driver had been shortly released from the hospital after being treated.
“There were Remembrance events just a short distance away from the hospital and that the ignition occurred shortly before 11:00 GMT,” he also recalled.
While the authorities have determined the attacker’s identity, forensic work is still ongoing to confirm this. Also, experts are resorting to DNA and dental records to really ensure the attacker’s identity.
With that said, digital forensic teams are still investigating the attacker’s online habits to determine his motives. Bomb experts, on the other hand, are looking at how the improvised bomb was produced. All of these efforts are being made to check if there is any ongoing threat to the public.