Nottingham stabbing :The victims of the stabbings were Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber, and Grace O’Malley-Kumar (Left to Right). (Source : bbc.com)
In Nottingham, three victims of a horrific incident have been identified as tributes pour in. University students Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber, and 65-year-old Ian Coates were fatally murdered in a stabbing spree in Nottingham, leaving their families in a state of utter grief. Keep reading to know more about Nottingham Stabbing in detail.
Nottingham Stabbing: What happened?
As tributes come in, the names of the three victims of a horrifying incident in Nottingham have been revealed.
The attack claimed the lives of promising athletes Grace Kumar, Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates.
Grace Kumar, a Londoner, and Barnaby Webber, a 19-year-old from Somerset, were both attacked as they were returning to their dorms after a night out, and both were heard crying for help.
Then, while on his way to work as a site manager for a school, Ian Coates, 65, was killed during a brutal carjacking, while the suspect sped off with his white van. Later, about 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday, a van mounted the curb and struck pedestrians.
His sons Lee and James Coates told reporters at the scene of the attack that the school caretaker would have been on his way to work when he was attacked.
Suspect Arrested:
A male who matched the suspect’s description attempted to enter a hostel on Mapperley Road, according to police reports based on their investigations.
The suspect allegedly attacked a man after which he took his van. The Magdala Road location, which is a little under two miles (3.2 km) from the scene of the previous two homicides, is where the East Midlands Ambulance Service reports it was called at 05:39.
When a crew arrived, they discovered police performing CPR on a victim. All three fatalities have been linked by the police. The ambulance service claims that at 05:25, Milton Street received a call about reports of persons being struck by cars.
According to the police, they halted the van near Maples Street where a 31-year-old guy was Tasered and taken into custody.
Official sources have verified that the 31-year-old suspect in custody is originally from West Africa but has lived in the UK for many years. He is not a citizen of the United Kingdom, but he has settled status, which allows him to remain in the nation for an extended period.
He had no criminal history, and the security services were unaware of him. The man is known to have a history of mental health problems.
Victims:
Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar were two smart pupils who excelled in sports, while Ian Coates was a well-liked school caretaker who always went above and beyond. In the terror and mayhem that erupted on the streets of Nottingham, all three were stabbed to death.
Who was Barnaby Webber?
A 19-year-old history student at Nottingham, Mr Barnaby Webber had a focus on US and Chinese geopolitics. His teachers praised him for being a motivated learner who was “fun, friendly, and full of life in his seminars.”
Mr Webber, a native of Taunton, Somerset, was chosen for the university squad and was a “key member” of the Bishops Hull Cricket Club. He also engaged in rugby and hockey. He was described as a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man” by his family.
Barnaby Webber. (Source: cnn.com)
Parents David and Emma Webber and younger brother Charlie described Mr. Webber as being “at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man.”
They said,
“Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son,”
Barnaby Philip John Webber was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.
A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team.
As parents we are enormously proud of everything he achieved and all the plans he had made.
His brother is bereft beyond belief, and at this time we ask for privacy as a family to be allowed time to process and grieve.”
Mr Webber was a former student of Taunton School and was also a member of the Combined Cadet Forces. Barnaby began attending the nursery and continued until the end of the sixth form, quitting only a year ago.
Brother Charlie, mother Emma, and father David, family of Barnaby Webber, attend a vigil at the University of Nottingham. (Source: telegraph.co.uk)
He had a profound impact on the staff, students, and parents during his long affiliation with the school, and his passing will be very difficult to accept. He was a dearly beloved, sympathetic, and interesting figure.
Who was Grace O’Malley-Kumar ?
At the University of Nottingham, Ms O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was enrolled in the medical program. During the pandemic, the first-year student volunteered for the national vaccinations drive and accepted work placements in a doctor’s office.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar played hockey for Southgate Hockey Club and Woodford Wells Cricket Club in London, as well as the England U16 and U18 hockey teams. She was described as “fun, friendly, and brilliant” by her teammates.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar. (Source: cnn.com)
Her family described Ms O’Malley-Kumar as “an adored daughter and sister.” James, one of her brother’s friends, and her parents described her as a fantastic and lovely young lady.
“As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed.
“We were so incredibly proud of her achievements and what a lovely person she was.
“She was resilient and wise beyond her years.”
Her family stated that she was overjoyed to be living out her dream of attending medical school and competing at the highest level in university hockey.
Before enrolling in a university, Ms O’Malley-Kumar attended Bancroft’s School in north-east London. She very recently left Bancroft’s and was a vital member of the community.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar was “an immensely gifted and dedicated scholar and sportswoman” who was a standout in both hockey and cricket.
She was praised as “fun, friendly, and brilliant” by the Woodford Wells Cricket Club in London. She was a former Wells Baby Belles captain, according to the club, and she was also a “fiercely competitive, talented, and dedicated hockey player” as well as a “cricketer.”
Her father is believed to be the heroic doctor Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, who rescued three teenagers who had been stabbed in a gang attack next to his general practitioner office.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar reportedly played for the county team from 2015 to 2019. During her tenure at the club, she served as team captain and was praised for her “highly talented bat and ball skills.” Essex Women said that she was “a respected captain and awesome team-mate.”
Cricket players in Chelmsford observed a moment of silence earlier before the County Championship game between Essex and Somerset. In honour of Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar, the flag at the stadium has been lowered to half-mast, and players are donning black armbands.
Who was Ian Coates?
At Huntingdon Academy in Nottingham, Mr. Coates, 65, served as the site manager. The school claimed he did everything in his power “for the benefit of our children” and that he will be sorely missed. The father was characterized as being “beloved and respected”.
Ian Coates (Source : bbc.com)
Near the school where he worked, on Magdala Road, was where the body of Mr Coates was discovered. James and Lee, his sons, claimed that although their father was four months away from retiring, he “was still grafting.”
Lee said,
“He was a die-hard Forest fan and an avid fisherman,
He used to take under-privileged kids fishing just to get away from crime. You genuinely couldn’t find a nicer guy.
He was due to retire in four months, he was still grafting. It’s rocked everyone’s world.
If we had to think about it, he’d be lying in a bed with us holding his hand, him dying naturally in 20 to 30 years’ time.”
Lee’s brother James added:
“Not dying on a street because some guy decided it’s not his day today.”
His brother Phil tweeted: “I can’t sleep trying to understand what’s happened, Ian had led a good life but Grace and Barnaby were just starting out, just absolutely numb at the moment.”
University Statement
Vice-Chancellor Shearer West of the University of Nottingham described the incident as the “senseless loss of two first-year students whose bright futures have been brutally curtailed by a seemingly random act of violence.”
She added,
“The university is supporting Grace and Barnaby’s families at this immensely difficult time.”
On Wednesday night, thousands of people gathered at Djanogly Terrace on campus for an outdoor vigil.
After the tragic events, “shock waves echo through our student community,” said Daisy Forster, a community officer for the student union at the University of Nottingham. She assured the families of Grace and Barnaby that “we will always be here when you need us,” while pointing to the crowds of students who were standing behind them.
The institution has also urged anyone in need of assistance to get in touch with well-being services now or shortly.
Police Investigation
Detectives are looking into footage from a residential care facility 100 yards from where Mr Coates was discovered that appears to show a man trying to enter a bay window while wearing all black.
The tape, according to Alex Pridmore, a trustee for the All Saints Shelter charity, which manages the residence, showed someone attempting to enter through a ground-floor window at around 4 am on Tuesday. According to Mr Pridmore, a male carer watched the man at the window until he left the building.
An unnamed resident of the house claimed that to scare the man away, he “punched” the glass of his bay window.
A man “matching the description of the suspect” had attempted to enter an assisted living complex in Mapperley Road, but had been turned away, according to police investigations, who corroborated this information.
The police claimed that no one had reported the event to them at the time and that they had not received any calls relating to the suspect before the initial stabbing in Ilkeston Road.
The police also stated that they were still in the early phases of the investigation and needed to determine the purpose behind the attacks. This would typically be the case in a situation like this, they stated that they were keeping an “open mind” and collaborating with counterterrorism authorities.
No other suspects are being sought concerning the attacks. All day Tuesday, police searched many houses in the city. Armed police invaded a home in Ilkeston Road, where Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar had been discovered dead earlier in the day, about noon.
Police have set up a forensics tent in the area of Magdala Road where Mr Coates was discovered deceased. Near the scene of the arrest, forensic officers were also inspecting a dented white Vauxhall vehicle on Bentinck Road.
Anyone worried about family or friends can call 0800 096 1011, a dedicated police phone line that has been set up.
Condolences to the Victims
Following their fatal stabbings during a violent spree in Nottingham, tributes have continued to pour in for two gifted first-year students and a school caretaker.
In front of friends and family, the families of Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber paid touching tributes. (Source: yahoo.com)
Diana Owen, CEO of LEAD Academy Trust, wrote: “I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about this tragic news. Ian was a beloved and respected member of the Huntingdon Academy staff. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this extremely sad time.”
Flowers were put at a vigil on Tuesday at St. Peter’s Church in Nottingham by mourners. (Source: cnn.com)
Leader of Nottingham City Council David Mellen in a statement :“Our city remains in shock after the tragic death of three people. We know the impact of these awful events will be felt not only by the victims’ families and friends but by the wider Nottingham community and so it is important that we take time to join together to share our grief and to remember the people we have lost.”
At a vigil at the University of Nottingham, flowers are placed in remembrance of students Grace O’Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber. (Source: yahoo.com)
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