Ariana Grande’s concert tour at Manchester Arena on Monday turned into a nightmare because of a terrorist attack. After the 23-year-old star performed her last song to close the show, an explosion happened that left 22 deaths, 119 injured, and a lot of broken hearts. The Royal family, led by Prince William, has released an official statement regarding the bombing that happened in England.
The statement can also be seen on Kensington Palace’s Twitter page.
Prince William’s statement
“Like everyone, Catherine, Harry and I are left shocked and saddened by the tragedy that unfolded in Manchester overnight,” Prince William started the statement. They are sending their thoughts to the hundreds of people, from friends to parents, partners, and children, who are now dealing with “unimaginable grief” because of what occurred.
The Duke of Cambridge also gave his gratitude to the citizen of Manchester for showing great strength and decency in times of trouble like this. Also, they sent their big thank you to the community for being a good example in the world in handling this kind of tragedy.
The suspect’s connection to terrorist groups
Although three are already arrested, the main culprit named Salman Abedi is found dead. A U.S. intelligence official told NBC News that the 22-year-old British guy has a connection with al Qaeda and actually underwent terrorist training abroad. And because of the suicide bombing, the United Kingdom now raised the threat of terror in the country to the highest level.
The intelligence added Abedi was identified through a bank card seen in his pocket. It was later confirmed by facial recognition technology. It was also revealed that the suspect had been in and out of Libya for the past 12 months among the other countries that he had visited. And aside from al Qaeda, the officials believed that he, too, has a connection to other terrorist groups.
Grande back in Florida after terrorist attack
Meanwhile, since the tragic Manchester attack, Grande was first seen in the public when she arrived in her hometown in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday. Evidently emotional, the “Side to Side” hitmaker was still in tears as she climbed down the stairs from her private jet. Wearing a pair of a black outfit, she was welcomed by her boyfriend MacMiller and comforted her with a big hug.
The 25-year-old rapper also gave Grande’s mother Joana a hug and a kiss on the cheek as they went their way on the waiting SUV caravan. They would be going home to a family member’s house in a nearby community. Some police were also seen patrolling and guarding Joan's house after the attack.