LONDON -- The family of the man suspected of ramming a van into Muslim worshippers offered public condolences Tuesday in statements that sought outreach but gave little hint of possible motives behind the latest terrorist strike in London.
The suspect -- identified by British media as Darren Osborne, 47 -- was heard by witnesses saying he wanted to kill Muslims. But few other details have emerged on what purportedly caused Osborne to drive 160 miles from Wales and point his van at crowds outside two north London mosques early Monday after nighttime prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.
At least 11 people were injured before Osborne was wrestled to the ground and arrested, authorities said. One man died, but it remained unclear whether he was killed in the attack or had collapsed moments before in the Finsbury Park district.
Osborne's mother, Christine, 72, told The Sun newspaper that her son had mental-health problems -- which she did not detail -- but had never expressed any political concerns.
"My son is no terrorist. He's just a man with mental issues, and I don't know how to cope with all this," she was quoted as saying. "As a mum, my heart goes out to everyone in Finsbury Park."
"We are massively shocked. It's unbelievable. It still hasn't really sunk in," said Osborne's nephew, Ellis, in a statement on behalf of the family.
"We are devastated for the families, our hearts go out to the people who have been injured. It's madness. It is obviously sheer madness," he said.
But other neighbors, who did not want to be named, told British newspapers that Osborne was known for heavy drinking and a temper.
Edward Gardiner, who lives in Osborne's neighborhood outside the Welsh capital, Cardiff, said he called police early Sunday to report a man who appeared to be drunk sprawled inside a parked rental van. He said the man appeared to be sleeping across the vehicle's front seats with the door open. On Saturday, Osborne had been thrown out of the Hollybush pub after drinking heavily and getting into an argument.
"I could smell alcohol on him, and he was grunting and groaning," Gardiner said. "I poked him but he didn't respond, so I called [police]. I didn't think anything about it, but then I saw the news reports, and it was the same guy, the same van."
Khadijeh Sherizi, who converted to Islam in 2003, said Osborne was usually polite and that her children, who are Muslims, would play with his children most days.
But on Saturday, she said, Osborne approached her 12-year-old son and called him "inbred." The next day, Osborne repeated the insult to her 10-year-old daughter, Sherizi said.
"We are Muslim, but I am white," Sherizi said. "Sometimes I feel threatened with my veil on. I know exactly what people are thinking by their looks."
Neighbors said Osborne had been living in a tent after being kicked out of the family home. He has four children, according to British media outlets.
Osborne, who was not on any security watch lists, is believed to have rented a white van near his home in Cardiff.
After the attack, he was arrested on accusations of attempted murder and later charged with the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism, including murder and attempted murder.
Late Monday in London, hundreds joined a peace vigil, some carrying placards that read "United Against All Terror."
This was the third attack in London this year involving vehicles, and it came a month after a suicide bombing in Manchester killed 23 people and injured more than 100.
Adil Rana, who witnessed the Monday incident, said the attacker taunted onlookers as he was arrested.
"He said, 'I'd do it again,'" Rana said. "It was a premeditated attack. He picked this area well, and he knows Finsbury Park is predominantly a Muslim area."
Fearing copycat attacks, many Muslims urged extra security for mosques and other sites. East London Mosque, one of the city's largest, said it was evacuated Monday after receiving a bomb threat.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May met with members of the Muslim community even as they denounced a rising climate of anti-Islamic sentiment. Her response contrasted with her handling of a deadly fire in London last week, when she was widely criticized for not meeting survivors on the first day of the disaster.
May described Monday's attack as "every bit as sickening" as those that have come before. She also hailed the "bravery" of those who detained the driver at the scene.
"Hatred and evil of this kind will never succeed," she said.
Sadiq Khan, London's first Muslim mayor, called the crime a "horrific terrorist attack" that was "clearly a deliberate attack on innocent Londoners, many of whom were finishing prayers during the holy month of Ramadan."
"While this appears to be an attack on a particular community, like the terrible attacks in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge, it is also an assault on all our shared values of tolerance, freedom and respect," he said in a statement.
Information for this article was contributed by Karla Adam of The Washington Post and by Paisley Dodds and Maria Cheng of The Associated Press.
A Section on 06/21/2017