Police have made a third arrest following a violent incident at a Halloween party in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, where five teenagers were stabbed. The attack occurred shortly after 22:30 GMT on Saturday at an event on Park Road, according to Hampshire Police.
Arrests and Investigation
A 16-year-old boy from Bristol was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody. Two other boys were arrested on Monday and are also in custody. The investigation is ongoing, with detectives reviewing video footage and witness statements to piece together the events of the night.
One 17-year-old boy is still in hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the other four victims have been discharged.
Witness Accounts
Two witnesses told the BBC that a fight broke out after a group entered the party by climbing over a garden fence. The motive for the stabbings is still unclear. One teenager described the chaos: "I was in the hallway near the exit and I saw someone I know pull up their shirt and say 'I've been stabbed'. And then I later saw him lying outside the front of the house with someone compressing his wound."
Police cordoned off sections of Park Road and the adjoining Valley Road, and these cordons remain in place as investigations continue.
Police Appeal for Information
Det Ch Insp Elizabeth Pirie, the senior investigating officer, expressed gratitude to those who have already come forward. "I want to thank everyone who has already come forward to speak about what they saw on the night, or share with us any footage they have," she said. "Our team are working incredibly hard to understand what happened and identify anyone who may have been involved. We now have arrested three boys, but we still want to hear from you if you have any information which could assist us. However small it may seem to you, it may be key to our enquiries."
Community Reassurance
In the coming week, local officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team will be visiting schools and colleges to offer advice and reassurance to students and staff. Ch Insp Rachel Noble, district commander for Eastleigh, emphasized the importance of support: "The violence witnessed on Saturday night will have undoubtedly been extremely distressing and concerning for everyone who was at the party. It is really important to us that everyone knows what support is available for them, should they want to talk about, and how they can report anything to us so the investigation team can continue with their enquiries."
She added that local officers will maintain a presence in the Park Road area: "Local officers will also continue to be out in the area of Park Road, so if you do have any concerns or need to speak about anything then do not hesitate to do so when you see them."
Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as the community grapples with the aftermath of this shocking event.
