Investigators hunted Tuesday for possible accomplices of the suicide bomber who attacked an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and sparking a stampede of young concertgoers, some still wearing the American pop star's trademark kitten ears and holding pink balloons.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Monday night carnage, which counted children as young as 8 among its victims and left 59 people wounded. British police raided two sites in the northern English city and arrested a 23-year-old man at a third location.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and police said the bomber died in the attack on Manchester Arena — a detail that was not included in the Islamic State claim, which also had discrepancies with the events described by British officials. A top U.S. intelligence official, Dan Coats, said the claim had not been verified by the U.S. government.
Manchester police chief Ian Hopkins identified the bombing suspect as 22-year-old Salman Abedi but gave no other details. A European security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the ongoing investigation, said Abedi was a Briton of Libyan descent. British election rolls listed him as living at a modest red brick semi-detached house in a mixed suburb of Manchester where police performed a controlled explosion Tuesday afternoon.
Natalie Daley, who lives in a nearby home, said she was frightened by a loud bang Tuesday, then police yelling, "Get in your houses — get away from the windows!"
"When it's like two seconds from your house, when you walk past it every day, you do live in fear," Daley said.
Campaigning for Britain's June 8 national election was suspended in the aftermath of the attack, the deadliest in Britain since four suicide bombers killed 52 London commuters on subway trains and a bus in July 2005.
Outside the arena, bleeding victims lay on the pavement. "As we came outside to Victoria Station, there were just people all over the floor covered in blood," said 25-year-old Ryan Molloy. "My partner was helping to try to stem the blood from this one person. ... They were pouring blood from their leg. It was just awful."
The train station, which is adjacent to the arena, was shut down for coming days, authorities said.
With public transport halted, Manchester residents opened their hearts. Taxis offered stranded people free rides home while some residents invited those without lodging into their homes. Twitter users circulated the MissinginManchester hashtag to help people looking for family and friends.