Police confirm driver who plowed into Liverpool soccer fans acted alone

A 53-year-old white British man drove a gray minivan into a crowd of Liverpool football fans on Monday, May, 25, 2025, turning a day of joyful celebration into chaos and fear.

The attack took place as thousands of supporters gathered to mark Liverpool’s Premier League championship win.

Over 45 people were injured in the incident, which unfolded during the closing moments of a parade honoring the team’s record-tying 20th league title.

According to police, the driver acted alone, and the event is not being treated as an act of terrorism.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where 27 individuals were transported to the hospital.

Among them, two were seriously injured, and at least four children were hurt.

An additional 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

One paramedic on a bicycle was struck by the vehicle but escaped without injury.

The crash caused panic among the crowd, with many people left screaming and scrambling to safety.

Video footage shared on social media captured the terrifying moment when the van struck a man and hurled him into the air before continuing into the dense crowd.

Witnesses described the sound of the collision as a sickening series of “pop, pop, pop,” as people were thrown from the hood of the car.

City Council leader Liam Robinson described the tragedy as casting “a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day for the city.”

The parade had drawn hundreds of thousands of fans dressed in Liverpool’s signature red, lining the streets despite rain and chilly weather.

Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes.

Harry Rashid, who attended the event with his wife and two daughters, said the vehicle sped into the crowd without warning.

After the van stopped momentarily, people began smashing its windows.

But the driver then accelerated again, running over more individuals.

“It was horrible,” Rashid said.

“You could hear the bumps as he was going over people.”

He added that the act appeared deliberate.

Another attendee, Peter Jones, who traveled from the Isle of Man, said he heard the van crashing into fans and saw several people lying injured on the ground.

“There was frantic beeping, then a car flew past me,” he said.

“People were chasing it, trying to stop him. Windows were smashed. Then he just drove into people.”

Four people, including a child, were pinned underneath the van and had to be freed by firefighters.

In the aftermath, the crowd turned from festive to frantic as emergency services flooded the scene.

Liverpool Police have launched a full investigation to determine the driver’s motives.

It also requested the public refrain from speculating or spreading disturbing content online.

They also emphasized that the driver’s identity, a white British man, was released to help counter misinformation.

This is particularly given the country’s recent history of racially charged unrest following similar events.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, calling the scenes “appalling” and praising the bravery of rescuers and bystanders.

“Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror,” he said.

Starmer added that Liverpool, a city with a strong sense of community, would stand united in the face of such tragedy.

Liverpool Football Club released a short statement expressing solidarity with those affected.

The Premier League also issued a message of shock and support, condemning the attack and offering thoughts to the victims.

This year’s celebrations held added emotional weight for Liverpool supporters.

The club’s 2020 league title win, its first in 30 years, was celebrated under COVID-19 restrictions, denying fans a public parade.

Monday’s event was intended to be a jubilant occasion, complete with two open-top buses carrying players, red smoke flares, and fireworks bursting from the iconic Royal Liver Building.

However, the mood shifted drastically as the incident echoed painful memories from Liverpool’s past.

This is particularly the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, where 97 fans lost their lives in a stadium crush. T

hat tragedy was followed by decades of official cover-ups and public mistrust toward authorities.

The driver’s identity was carefully disclosed to avoid misinformation spreading online, similar to what occurred last summer after a mass stabbing in nearby Southport.

In that case, false claims that the suspect was an asylum seeker led to a wave of anti-Muslim riots and attacks on refugee housing across England and Northern Ireland.

Monday’s incident, while not classified as terrorism, has raised concerns about rising violence and the dangers of misinformation in an already tense social climate.

Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the act while the city begins to heal from yet another traumatic episode.

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