LONDON (AP) — A man stabbed an 11-year-old girl and her mother to death in London’s busy theater district on Monday and was subsequently arrested, police said. There was no evidence the attack was a terrorist plot.

The attack occurred shortly before noon in front of a tea shop in Leicester Square, which is a tourist magnet with its shops and theaters.

Employees from nearby stores rushed to the victims’ aid. Officers arrived within four minutes and arrested the attacker, police said. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.

“I would like to express my gratitude to members of the public, including employees of local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident,” said Christina Jessah, Detective Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police. “They put themselves in danger and in doing so showed London at its best.”

The victims were taken to a major trauma center. The girl required treatment, but her life was not in danger, police said. Her 34-year-old mother had less serious injuries.

The suspect is 32 years old and police said they do not believe he knew the victims at this time.

“Urgent investigations are currently underway and investigators are working to establish the exact details of the incident,” Jessah said.

The stabbing came amid a recent spike in knife crime in Britain, which is in turmoil after days of violence in which crowds shouting xenophobic and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police. The unrest was fuelled by right-wing activists who used social media to spread misinformation about a stabbing in which three girls were killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.

It was not clear whether Monday’s attack had any connection to the unrest.

Police were prepared for further unrest over the weekend, but no major disturbances occurred. Ministers remain on high alert, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said, adding that work to deal with the fallout from the recent violence was ongoing.

The Associated Press