Aushinae Washington, Anderson’s former girlfriend, says she awoke to a late-night call from her father, who shared the news. When she and her mother arrived at the hospital around 5:40 a.m., they were told to wait outside with Anderson’s family. “No one was allowed, not even his mother and father were allowed to see his body,” she said.
“The family was left with nothing but disorientation,” her mother, Brandy McWilliams, said.
Questions remain over whether Saadallah should have been at large at the time of Saturday evening‘s attack in a park in the Berkshire town after being released early from prison this month for minor, non-terrorist offences.
It has also emerged that Saadallah (pictured below), who it is understood had serious mental health problems, had come to the UK as an illegal immigrant in 2012 but was granted asylum in 2018.
The news came soon after an anti-racism “Black Lives Matter” protest in the area earlier. The police say there is no suggestion so far that the incident is linked to any protests.
Nieema Hassan, one of the organizers of Saturday‘s protest, said demonstrators had left by the time the violence occurred.
12:22AM Counter-terrorism officers at the scene
Counter-terrorism police are at the scene in Reading, while The Guardian is reporting that the security service, MI5, are also assisting the investigation.