The city of Nottingham in central England is in mourning on Thursday as it prepares for a second vigil in memory of three people killed in a brutal stabbing spree, including British Indian teenage hockey star Grace O’Malley Kumar.
The 19-year-old has since been formally identified by Nottinghamshire Police as one of the victims of the attack in the early hours of Tuesday.
She was killed soon after the fatal stabbing of her friend Barnaby Webber, also 19, and the third victim, 65-year-old Ian Coates, was stabbed to death soon after on a nearby street of the Nottingham city centre.
A 31-year-old male suspect, believed to be of West African origin, remains in police custody as counter-terror officials help with the murder investigation.
“Right now, this is a city in mourning… the whole city is shocked and devastated by this attack, which has killed three people and injured three – one of whom is in critical condition,” Nadia Whittome, British Indian MP from Nottingham, told reporters.
“Nothing like this has happened in Nottingham, certainly not in my lifetime. But our community does have a proud history of coming together and looking after one another in times like this and I know that this time will be no different,” she said. On Wednesday, the University of Nottingham held a campus vigil in memory of their two students killed in the attack, which involved moving and tearful tributes from family, friends and fellow students.
“The love that we have out here, I just wish we had it everywhere. So, look after each other,” said Dr Sanjoy Kumar, fighting back his tears for his daughter.“Grace was not just a sister to James but his best friend. He is completely heartbroken. As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation.