Image of Golders Green Knifeman Terrorist

Golders Green Terror: Two Stabbed in Alleged Targeted Rampage

"We tried to save people," Cohen told reporters. "We screamed 'be careful.' He appeared to be looking for Jewish people." --Terror Attack in Golders Green: Jewish Community on Edge After Stabbing and Targeted Violence

Reported from court

Michael (Mikey) Bernstein

30 April 2026 at 12:30Updated 2 May 2026 at 16:002 min read

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A declared terrorist attack in the heart of Golders Green on Wednesday has left the British Jewish community reeling, as new footage emerges of a suspect pursuing bystanders during a violent spree that police say specifically targeted Jewish residents.

The incident, which occurred shortly after 11:00 AM on Highfield Avenue, resulted in the stabbing of two Jewish men—one in his 70s and another in his 30s. Both victims remain in stable condition.

Footage obtained by VPN shows the suspect, who has now been named as Essa Suleiman, clad in a navy jacket and carrying a beige rucksack, appearing to chase a man around a parked vehicle. Eyewitness Isaac Cohen described a scene of chaos and bravery, recounting how community members shouted warnings to pedestrians.

"We tried to save people," Cohen told reporters. "We screamed 'be careful.' He appeared to be looking for Jewish people."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the 45-year-old suspect, who was armed with a knife, attempted to stab responding officers before being neutralized with a Taser and taken into custody.

Born in Somalia, Essa Suleiman arrived in the UK as a child in the 1990s. He came to the country legally and is now a British citizen. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley previously said he had a "history of serious violence and mental health issues."

Suleiman was referred into the government counter-terrorism Prevent programme in 2020. The referral was closed in the same year.

After his arrest, Suleiman was treated briefly in hospital and now remains in police custody. An address in south-east London is being searched.

The stabbing is being viewed not as an isolated tragedy, but as the latest flashpoint in what community leaders describe as a sustained campaign of intimidation. The geography of the recent violence paints a chilling picture for local residents: