Attempted murder suspect found sitting on wall after woman stabbed outside Walsall infant school
A woman has been left seriously injured after being stabbed outside an infant school in what is being treating as an attempted murder.
The woman was attacked near Whitehall Nursery and Infant School in Walsall shortly before 8am on Wednesday.
The 64-year-old woman was left with injuries described as serious but stable after the stabbing on West Bromwich Road, where a man was arrested as soon as police arrived.
The 66-year-old man suspect was found sitting on a wall near the injured victim.
The road was sealed off in the aftermath of the stabbing, with forensic tents set up along the street and officers in specialist forensic suits carrying out investigations.
Part of the road near the school and terraced houses was also cordoned off.
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said the suspect remained in custody on Wednesday afternoon as detectives spoke to witnesses and gathered CCTV footage.
Residents living on the road were left shocked at the incident, with many saying something like a stabbing had never happened before and that they hoped the woman was able to recover.
One woman who lives near to the scene of the stabbing said she had heard a lot of shouting but hadn’t realised what had happened until she opened her curtains half an hour later.
The woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I heard a couple of angry males voices around 7.30am, but didn’t look out until 8am, when I saw police cars all over the street as the kids were going to school.
“It’s a shock to see the street cordoned off at the places it was and I’ve never seen anything like this happen around here, maybe a few people speeding, but nothing like a stabbing.
“It’s also horrible to have it happen right on your doorstep and I hope the woman is ok, but I’ve got to praise the police as they were here quickly and were really professional.”
Whitehall Nursery and Infant School remained open throughout the day, with parents arriving to pick up their children seeing the cordon still in place.
One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t like the fact they’ve kept the school open today with police closing part of the road, as it doesn’t feel safe to me.
“I heard about it this morning and I just hope the woman’s ok after this.”
A resident on the other side of the cordon, who also didn’t want to be named, said they were disturbed to have heard about a stabbing near their home.
They said: “We saw the police outside and wondered what was going on, but we hadn’t heard about what was going on until earlier this afternoon.
“It’s frightening and disturbing to hear what had happened and to know it’s happened right outside.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service sent an ambulance, paramedic officer and MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic to the scene.
"Crews treated a woman with serious injuries and she was conveyed to hospital on blue lights and sirens for further treatment," a spokesman said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police via Live Chat or call 101 quoting log number 644 of 6 April.
Whitehall Nursery and Infant School declined to comment.
