LONDON
A U.K. opposition lawmaker has been killed in gun and knife attack on the street in her electoral district.
Labour Party MP Jo Cox died of her injuries after being hospitalized following the attack on Thursday afternoon in the town of Birstall, near Leeds in northern England.
A 52-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident, identified by British local media as Tommy Mair. Local police confirmed at a press conference that they were not looking for any other suspects.
West Yorkshire Police chief Dee Collins said: “This is a very significant investigation with large numbers of witnesses that have been spoken to by police at this time.
“There is a large and significant crime scene and there is a large police presence in the area. A full investigation is underway to establish the motive of this attack”.
Far-right group denies involvement
Eyewitnesses Hithem Ben Abdallah said the lawmaker was lying bleeding on the pavement after the attack, which took place shortly after she held a meeting with some constituents.
He told the BBC: “There was a guy who was being very brave and another guy with a white baseball cap who he was trying to control and the man in the baseball cap suddenly pulled a gun from his bag”.
Another witness, Graeme Howard, told The Guardian daily that he heard the male suspect shout “Britain first,” a possible reference to a far-right a party of the same name, before shooting Cox and during his arrest.
But Britain First – known for its anti-immigration, anti-Muslim policies – denied any involvement.
In a video posted to Facebook, party leader Paul Golding said: “The media are acting grossly irresponsible [sic] to try and incriminate our organization, Britain First, in this heinous crime, because we're nothing to do with it. We would not condone actions like that”.
'Shock at horrific murder'
Cox had been a parliamentary deputy for only 13 months, having been elected in last year’s general election.
Her husband Brendan said she would have wanted “two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron praised Cox as a “bright star” who had a “great track record of caring about refugees”, while Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country would be “in shock at the horrific murder of Jo Cox today”.
Corbyn added: “Jo died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve. It is a profoundly important cause for us all.”
Gabrielle Giffords, the former U.S. congresswoman who was gravely injured by a gunshot wound to the head five years ago, tweeted: “Absolutely sickened to hear of the assassination of Jo Cox. She was young, courageous, and hardworking. A rising star, mother, and wife.”
The shooting comes less than a week before voters decide on their country’s EU membership in a referendum.
All campaigning has been suspended in a sign of respect.
