A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a stabbing incident that occurred at a KFC in Bromley, England, leaving four people with injuries. The incident, described by witnesses as a 'machete fight,' took place on Thursday on Bromley High Street around 2:15 p.m.
A man, 21, and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were hospitalized with stab wounds following the attack. While one man was initially in critical condition, his injuries are now considered non-life-threatening. The teenagers have since been discharged from the hospital.
Authorities initially arrested eight individuals on suspicion of attempted murder. Six of these individuals have since been released on conditional bail pending the ongoing police investigation.
The Met Police confirmed that the 14-year-old boy has been charged with one count of affray and two counts of threatening a person with a bladed article or offensive weapon in a public place. He appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Saturday and is scheduled for a follow-up appearance on Wednesday.
Police are treating the event as isolated and have stated there is no wider threat to the public.
Witnesses reported seeing a large knife, with one individual claiming a machete was used. A bus driver at the scene described the weapon as a 'zombie knife,' and a nearby security guard stated the assailants were a 'group of kids with a machete.'
Following the incident, the town square and shopping center were cordoned off, with police tape stretching between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road. Emergency services, including the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance, responded to the scene.
A spokesperson for the Met Police stated that officers responded to an 'altercation' and found four men with stab wounds. The KFC on Bromley High Street issued a statement confirming the incident and pledged cooperation with the police investigation, prioritizing the well-being of their staff and customers.
