2018 Photo Contest, Spot News, 2nd prize

Witnessing the immediate aftermath of an attack in the heart of London

Photographer

Toby Melville

Reuters

22 March, 2017

Passersby assist an injured man after after an attack on pedestrians at Westminster Bridge in London, UK.

On 22 March, Khalid Masood drove a rented SUV along the sidewalk of Westminster Bridge, near the British Houses of Parliament in central London. Three people were killed instantly, and two more died in the days after the attack; at least 40 were injured.

Armed with two knives, Masood left the car and attempted to enter the grounds of parliament, where he fatally stabbed one of the policemen who tried to stop him, before being shot and killed.

Born Adrian Russell Elms in Kent, UK, Masood changed his name when he converted to Islam. Although ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack the following day, police investigating found no evidence of any links between Masood and either ISIS or al-Qaeda.

About the photographer

Toby Melville

From 1998 - 2002 he worked as a staff photographer at Press Association in London, after having spent four years on staff at regional daily paper in south west England, Bristol E...

Technical information

Shutter Speed
1/500
Focal length
30.0 mm
F-Stop
5.0
ISO
400

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