U.K. tries to get back to business, make sense of brutal attack on British soldier in London

The man brutally hacked to death Wednesday in London by two attackers carrying machetes was a serving British soldier.

Lee Rigby had served in the British Army for seven years and left behind a two-year-old son. 

The British government says Rigby’s murder was an act of terror. The concern now is whether Wednesday’s assault near an army barracks could lead to more attacks.

Lesley Ashmall, a BBC Radio 5 Live reporter, said the attack has absolutely appalled London, comparing it to the reaction in the U.S. after the Boston Marathon attack.

“We don’t know a very great deal about the men responsible, yet. We know that they carried out this brutal and brazen attack in broad daylight, half-past two in the afternoon. And as you say, seemed like they wanted to get caught.”

The soldier was hacked to death in front of dozens of shoppers, along one of London’s busiest roads — close to a school and an army barracks.

“They’re shouting to people to film them, to take their photograph. They wanted their message to get across, they said,” Ashmall explained.

In the aftermath of the attack, London police have raided homes in London and elsewhere in the U.K., trying to determine if anyone else was involved with the attack.

Ashmall said the two assailants are believed to be of Nigerian origin, but brought up living in London. Both men were shot, but survived with one in critical condition and the other in more stable condition.

Intelligence officials were hoping to question at least one of the men either Thursday or Friday.

Security has been increased at army barracks around London, Ashmall said, and British officials were debating whether to increase the country’s terror threat level.

“I think people are just being very British about it — stiff upper lip, getting on with it, just as they did in Boston,” she added.