Glasgow stabbing attack: Witnesses describe seeing victims 'covered in blood'
Police were shouting "put your hands up" at people running out of the Park Inn hotel in West George Street, a witness says.
Saturday 27 June 2020 03:26, UK
People covered in blood were carried out of a Glasgow hotel on stretchers after a stabbing attack, eyewitnesses have said.
Craig Milroy, who saw the aftermath of the attack from an office building nearby, told Sky News he had "never seen so many police in my life, especially with all the weapons".
He said he saw a "man lying on the ground" outside, describing him as having "no shoes on" and holding his side.
He told Sky News: "At first we heard a commotion outside, I went downstairs, looked to my left and saw a man topless with no shoes on.
"It looked like he was holding something that had been pressed on him, it looked like he had been stabbed.
"I looked further up to see a really big police presence, the ambulance came round, then put him on gas and air, and took him away. I don't know what position he will be in now but he did look badly hurt."
He added: "I've never seen so many police in my life, especially all the weapons. Never seen that many at all.
"We saw people coming out of the building as well - I believe the people coming out were kettled across the street and then moved into the pub across the street," said Mr Milroy.
"There were lots of women and children and vulnerable people."
John was on the third floor of the hotel at the time of the attack and said he rushed downstairs to find two receptionists had been stabbed.
He said: "One receptionist had been stabbed behind the receptionist desk.
"When I went to the entrance I saw another receptionist was fighting for his life and had been stabbed.
"There were two police officers there assisting him."
Another witness, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sky News they were woken up by a loud noise outside the hotel.
The witness - who has been living on the third floor of the hotel - said he heard a male voice and a female voice screaming, and that when he headed downstairs the inside of the lift and the "whole reception area" were both "covered in blood".
"I saw that one of the receptionists was stabbed and he was lying behind the desk of the reception… just lying, and he was gasping for air," he added.
He said another receptionist was outside on the hotel steps, "fighting for his life".
Louisa, who was also in another building in West George Street, told Sky News: "I saw people being treated with blood on the ground.
"I saw people running out of the hotel with the police shouting 'put your hands up, put your hands up, come out'."
She added: "Police were shouting to people in other buildings near the Park Inn hotel to stay inside and not come into the street. I saw at least three people injured and they were taken away in ambulances.
"There were quite a number of people coming out with their hands up, running down the steps of the hotel. I saw people with blood on them, all over the ground."
Matthew Nesbitt, who lives on the fourth floor of another building near the hotel, said he came down and saw a man bleeding on the steps outside the hotel.
He told Sky News: "I saw one gentleman with his life lost. It's not something you expect to see on a Friday afternoon.
"You don't expect it to happen right outside your building. It's more shocking than anything."
A man called Stuart, who lives in a flat opposite the hotel, told Sky News he saw armed police run inside and emerge half an hour later carrying a man.
He said: "Police ran into the hotel and were in there for some time. After half an hour or so, so closer to 3pm, they appeared to pull someone out, he was wearing plain clothes and they were carrying him."
Someone else also walked out of the hotel at the same time, he added.
Stuart said he first heard police shouting at people in a bid to evacuate the hotel, a nearby bus and some cars parked close by.
He said: "There was a lot of urgency to push people back."
Muhammad Sultan, a manager of a nearby Indian restaurant, was at work when he heard people screaming.
He told Sky News: "There was lots of noise and I saw people running, so I looked outside of the front door.
"I saw there was a man who had been stabbed and there was loads of blood on the ground around him.
"It was a really disturbing image. I saw one of the police officers was injured as well and he was taken away by the emergency services when they arrived."
He added: "The police told us to stay inside for our own safety. This is the first time that this has happened in my city.
"I've never encountered something like this before in Glasgow. I'm really shocked about what's happened. I feel really sorry for the victims - I wish there was something I could've done for them."
Another witness, who gave their name as Reilly, told Sky News they saw someone "looking unconscious" and being taken away in an ambulance.
They said they saw a police officer asking the hotel manager for key cards and access to CCTV.
"He was very quiet, just handed over the keys and said there was another manager with more access," he said.
"I think he was a little in shock."