Moss Side double murder probe: Suspect held under Mental Health Act

The suspect arrested in connection with a double murder probe in Moss Side is now being held under the Mental Health Act, police said tonight.

Officers were called to Great Southern Street at 5am today following reports that two men had been stabbed. Tragically, they were both pronounced dead at the scene, despite the best efforts of first responders.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. Police said they were not looking for anyone else following the arrest.

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In an update tonight, Greater Manchester Police said: "The man who was arrested on suspicion of murder earlier today has now been detained under the Mental Health Act after being assessed by medical professionals. Through initial enquiries, we believe that the suspect and one of the victims were known to each another."

Chief Superintendent David Meeney, district commander for the City of Manchester division, said: “This morning, two lives have been lost in our community, and our thoughts go to their families who have lost a loved one today. We are treating this as an isolated incident with no threat to the wider public.

“We have launched a murder investigation, and detectives from our Major Incident Team continue to work diligently conducting CCTV trawls and speaking to witnesses to find out what has happened to the victims. We swiftly made an arrest this morning and we are not looking for anyone else in relation to this.

“We understand the shockwaves that this devastating news will have caused in the local community and further afield across Greater Manchester. We have placed a number of local neighbourhood officers in the area to conduct visible patrols to reassure the community.

“If you have any concerns, please speak to them, they are there to lend a listening ear. I’d like to thank the local community who have all really pulled together and cooperated with our enquiries.

“We also understand that our cordon may prevent people from going about their daily lives, officers are working hard to ensure that the community can return to normality as swiftly as possible. If you have any information that may be able to assist our enquiries, please get in touch with our officers. Please don’t assume that we know already, any small piece of information may be vital for our Major Incident Team detectives to find out what happened this morning.

“We thank the public for their cooperation and patience as there is a cordon in place on Great Southern Street and into the surrounding area. We are asking the public to continue avoiding the area as there is a large emergency service presence while we establish the full circumstances of the incident this morning.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log number 553 of 17/11/24.