Police in UK said that the Labour MP, Jo Cox has died after being twice shot and stabbed in an attack in her constituency in West Yorkshire.
The 41-year-old MP from Batley and Spen, was attacked by a 52-year-old man on Thursday. Police have arrested the murderer.
— Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) June 16, 2016
Displaying a remarkable restraint, Cox’s husband said that his wife would have wanted people “to unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.”
From Prime Minister David Cameron to the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn and the US Secretary of State were among those condoling the tragic death of the popular MP, a mother of two daughters aged 3 and 5.
Corbyn said she was a “much-loved colleague” who “died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve.”
Cameron said: “The death of Jo Cox is a tragedy. She was a committed and caring MP. My thoughts are with her husband Brendan and her two young children. We’ve lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened.”
The BBC reported that Cox was the first MP to be killed in office since 1980, when Ian Gow was the last in a string of politicians to die at the hands of Northern Irish terror groups.
Britain is preparing for the crucial referendum on whether it should remain the part of the EU. Both parties have now suspended their campaign for the referendum.
Sky News said that a 52-year-old man had been arrested. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair, and police say they are not looking for anyone else.
The report added that a 77-year-old man too had suffered non-threatening injuries in a nearby attack, according to officers.
Eyewitness Hichem Ben Abdallah said a “very brave” bystander tried to stop a man who pulled out a gun and shot Cox twice and also assaulted her.