Friday’s stabbing attack on the London Bridge that left two people dead and three others wounded had British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arguing afterward that it had been a “mistake” to grant an early release to the suspect, an ex-convict who was shot and killed by police.
Johnson said he had “long argued” against allowing “serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early.”
“It is very important that we get out of that habit and that we enforce the appropriate sentences for dangerous criminals, especially for terrorists, that I think the public will want to see,” Johnson said.
Following the attack, London police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Usman Khan, who lived in the Staffordshire area and was convicted in 2012 for “terrorism offenses.”
Authorities said Khan had been released in December 2018 “on license,” meaning he had to meet certain conditions or face being sent back to prison, according to Metropolitan Police Counterterrorism Chief Neil Basu.
Police were treating the stabbings as a terrorist attack. – READ MORE