Man charged with murders after Nottingham attacks,Valdo Calocane has been charged with the murders of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates in Nottingham.
Nineteen-year-old students Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Mr Coates, 65, were stabbed in the early hours of Tuesday.
Valdo Calocane has also been charged with attempted murder after three people were injured, one critically, when they were hit by a van.
The 31-year-old will appear before magistrates in the city on Saturday.
University of Nottingham students Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar were fatally stabbed in Ilkeston Road, just after 04:00 BST on Tuesday, while Mr Coates was found dead with knife injuries in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.
Mr Calocane, of no fixed address, is accused of using the van to drive at pedestrians.
One man was struck in Milton Street and left in a critical condition, but a Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust spokesman said he was now stable.
Police said an attempt was also made to run over two other pedestrians in the Sherwood Street area. They are believed to have suffered minor injuries.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had received a referral from police and was investigating.
A spokesman for the police watchdog said: “We have viewed dashcam footage from the police car and can confirm the officer, in a single-crewed vehicle en route to a linked incident, had sight of the van for less than a minute before the collision in the South Sherwood Street area. The officer immediately stopped to provide first aid.
“We will be contacting the two people injured in the collision to wish them a speedy recovery and advise them that we have decided to investigate this specific police interaction.
“Our investigation will consider whether the actions of the van driver were influenced by the police car’s presence shortly before he collided with the two pedestrians.”
Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “These charges are a significant development and arise as a result of our thorough investigation into these horrific incidents that occurred in our city.
“We are keenly aware of the deep emotion being felt surrounding these tragic events and the high level of interest, not only in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire but also across the whole country.
“However, posting prejudicial information online about an active case could amount to contempt of court and, in the most serious cases, have the potential to cause the collapse of a trial.”
Police previously revealed Mr Calocane was a former University of Nottingham student, but said “this is not believed to be connected with the attack”.