Five teenage boys were seriously injured in a stabbing at a Halloween party in southern England on Saturday after an uninvited group gained entry to the event.
The attack happened at a private residence in Chandler's Ford, a suburban town near Eastleigh in Hampshire, about 70 miles southwest of London.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight police officers responded to the scene around 10:30 pm, where they found five victims — three aged 16 and two aged 17 — with serious stab wounds. All were taken to hospital, police said.
Investigators have established that an unknown group gained entry to the party before the violence erupted, the BBC reported. No arrests were made in the immediate aftermath and police appealed for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.
Officers maintained a cordon through Sunday evening as the investigation continued, with scene-of-crime restrictions remaining in place.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Pirie said: "We are already hard at work identifying anyone who was at the party who may be able to assist our inquiries, whether that be having directly witnessed what took place, having filmed any footage which may be relevant, or who may be able to help us identify the unknown group."
Multiple ambulances, including an air ambulance, responded to the scene, one witness told the BBC. Another witness described seeing a victim flee the property, shouting he had been stabbed and being pursued by two people.
Residents struggled to make sense of the attack in interviews with the Hampshire Chronicle, a local newspaper. One couple described the violence as out of character for the quiet suburb, with another saying the incident was very "odd" for the area. Another neighbor told the newspaper: "I heard a commotion last night and saw loads of teenagers in the street. It was like a party had just finished. There were girls crying and screaming."
Liz Jarvis, the member of Parliament for Eastleigh, told the BBC on Monday that the community was in shock over the incident.
"My thoughts are with the parents of the boys and the whole community," she said. "It is very sad to think that these five boys have been put in hospital as a result of this incident."
She urged people to remain calm, adding that it was "important not to speculate or share unverified information."
