A man has been arrested following a seven-hour stand-off with police after two people were stabbed by an assailant wielding two knives.
Both victims were rushed to hospital while the suspect made a stand against armed police, peering out of an 11th-floor window of a block of flats in Calder, West Edinburgh, this morning.
Locals claimed the knifeman was ‘covered in blood’ and had tried to get into a school and a nursery before being chased away.
Neighbours previously said a number of people may have been stabbed and a local shop ransacked, with an emergency response in place since before 9am.
Footage posted on social media showed the suspect brandishing two knives, one in each hand, and roaming the streets of Edinburgh around 8.25am this morning.
The wounded victims were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment, where doctors have assessed their injuries to be non-life-threatening.
Pictures from the scene show the suspect grinning from the flat-block window looking down at several officers below.
Videos on social media also show damage to a local shop, with smashed bottles and boxes covering the floor.
Abigail Clegg said the armed man had ‘tried to get into the school, the nursery’ before he was chased away.
She said: ‘He (then) went into the shop. He ransacked the shop, the shop’s a mess. He chased the people that work in the shop with a knife.’
One local worker described how he saw the man standing outside the shop ‘covered in blood’ as his manager chased him away with a spirit level. He told Edinburgh Live: ‘I could see his hands covered in blood. And the knives were drenched in it.
‘So I grabbed the spirit level and threw it to my manager. And he’s chased him onto the grass but I’ve told him to get back as he could slip.’
‘Parents were running their kids into cars and the police just sat there. Folk were dropping off at the school. The guy was covered in blood,’ he added.
William Ramsay, who lives in the area, added he believed the man had entered the stairwell of his building.
He said: ‘He smashed the local shop, possibly stabbed two people unconfirmed.
‘Armed police, dogs been here for about two hours.’
Police said the incident was not being treated as terror related.
Pictures from the scene show at least six police vehicles outside Cobbinshaw House, a tower block of flats, as well as armed police officers.
Locals said in posts on social media that schools had been locked down due to the incident.
A text sent to parents at Wester Hailes High School earlier read: ‘The school is in lockdown following an incident in the community this morning.
‘The children are safe. We will update you in 30 minutes. Thank you.’
Following the arrest, Chief Inspector Scott Kennedy said: ‘I’d like to thank the public for their assistance and patience while we dealt with this incident.
‘I understand what happened was alarming for the local community and I want to reassure the public there is no ongoing wider risk. However, if you do have concerns please speak to the officers at the scene or call us on 101.’
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: ‘We received a call at 8.34am to attend an incident on Calder Gardens, Edinburgh.
‘We dispatched three ambulances, three paramedic response units (PRU), and a special operations response team (SORT) to the scene.
‘We transported two patients to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.’
A statement from Police Scotland previously said: ‘The earlier disturbance in the Calder area of Edinburgh is now contained and there is not believed to be any wider risk to the public.
‘The incident is not being treated as terror related.
‘Officers were called to reports of a man with a bladed weapon on Calder Gardens around 8.25am.
‘Specialist resources, including firearms officers, are in attendance at a property nearby and enquiries are ongoing.
‘Two people were injured and taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
‘I understand this is an alarming incident for the local community. I want to reassure the public, officers will remain in the area as our enquiries continue.
‘Anyone with information or concerns can approach these officers or call us on 101.’
‘The public is being advised to avoid the Calder area of Edinburgh following reports of a man with a bladed weapon.
‘Police, including firearms officers, are in attendance.’
A council spokesman said: ‘We’re aware of an ongoing incident in the Calder area of the city and are continuing to support Police Scotland.
‘Following police advice, all council buildings nearby, including schools and early years centres, were closed to the public.
‘We’re hoping to be able to reopen these shortly and are continuing to keep parents and local residents updated.’
