British MP David Amess died Friday after an attacker fatally stabbed the 69-year-old lawmaker while he was meeting constituents outside London.
Amess was stabbed multiple times, according to his office, while he was meeting constituents inside a Methodist church in his district in Essex. Police recovered a knife from the scene and took one person, a 25-year-old man, into custody, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Police confirmed that Amess had died from his injuries. Law enforcement also said that they are not looking for any other suspects in the killing. Essex police said in a statement:
A man has been arrested on suspicion murder after a man was stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea.
We were called to an address in Eastwood Road North shortly after 12.05pm today (Friday 15 October).
We attended and found a man injured.
He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene.
A 25 year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered.
He is currently in custody.
We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.
Amess was a member of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party. He was first elected to Parliament in 1983. Known for his staunch conservative views, he was a vocal critic of the European Union and backed Brexit, according to The New York Times.
The attack and subsequent news of his death inspired an outpouring of support for the 69-year-old lawmaker.
“Horrific and deeply shocking news. Thinking of David, his family and his staff,” said Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party and the main opposition to the Conservative Party.
Carrie Johnson, wife to Prime Minister Johnson, tweeted, “Absolutely devastating news about Sir David Amess. He was hugely kind and good. An enormous animal lover and a true gent. This is so completely unjust. Thoughts are with his wife and their children.”
Conservative MP and trade minister Penny Mordaunt said, “All my love and deepest sympathies are with David’s family, friends, staff and constituents. He served his community with his whole heart and he brought us all immense joy. An amazing, kind man who knew what mattered in life.
Nigel Farage, former U.K. member of the European Parliament who was one of the leading voices for Brexit, tweeted: “Desperately sad news about Sir David Amess being murdered doing his job as an MP. Awful for his family and friends, this is a real blow to the democratic process.”
Amess’s death is the second time in five years a British lawmaker has died from an attack. As the Journal reported:
In 2016, a far-right extremist stabbed and shot lawmaker Jo Cox while she was walking into a meeting with her constituents. She died of her injuries.
In 2010, Labour Party lawmaker Stephen Timms was stabbed while meeting with constituents by a woman who was associated with an Islamic extremist and who opposed Mr. Timms’s support for the Iraq war. Mr. Timms was stabbed twice but survived. In 2000, an aide to a Liberal Democrat lawmaker was killed defending his boss when a man armed with a sword stormed his constituency meeting.
Story cited here.
