Manhunt underway after stabbings in Birmingham, England

A search was underway in Birmingham, England, on Sunday for a man who was said to have carried out a series of stabbings across the city that left at least one person dead and seven more wounded, two of them seriously, police said.

Police have shared images and video footage of the man thought to be responsible for what police said appeared to be a “random attack.”

Chief Superintendent Steve Graham of West Midlands Police said that officers were searching for a motive, but that there was no indication the stabbings were related to terrorism, a hate crime or gang violence.

Police have confirmed that at least one man was killed and that two people, a man and a woman, had serious injuries. Five others were also wounded, and their injuries were described as minor.

No link has been established among the victims, leading police to believe that the stabbings were done at random.

They declared the situation a “major incident,” a designation that describes any episode involving serious harm or a security risk to the public. A murder investigation has been opened.

The attacks happened in several spots across central Birmingham, a city about 120 miles northwest of London. The first was reported to police shortly after midnight in the north of the city, and the others followed over the next few hours, ending in an area known for its busy nightlife. Police said they believed that the stabbings were linked and that one man was responsible for the crimes.

“We are doing everything we can to trace the offender,” Graham said at a news conference.

Video footage of the suspect taken from surveillance cameras was released by West Midlands Police on Sunday evening as they appealed to the public to help in identifying the man.

Police have urged anyone who was in the city center late Saturday or early Sunday to share information, photographs or video related to the attacks.

The video of the suspected attacker matches descriptions given by witnesses to some of the incidents.