Images have been released of all three victims of Tuesday’s horror knife murders in Nottingham City Centre, while a fourth victim remains in hospital in a critical condition in hospital today.
Teenagers Barnaby Webber and Grace Kumar, both students aged just 19, were stabbed to death alongside Ian Coates, a school caretaker who was in his 60s, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
University of Nottingham students, Grace and Barnaby, were the first victims of the triple murder. Mr Coates had his van stolen around an hour later, after he was stabbed to death. As he lay dying on the street, the man used the white van to hit three members of the public, one of whom remains in a critical condition. Mr Coates’ body was found around two miles away from the students’ bodies, in Magdala Road.
The 31-year-old suspect was originally from West Africa and allegedly had “settled” status in the UK. He is currently being questioned by police.
An eye-witness of the atrocious attacks described the suspect as black, with dreadlocks and a beard, who was dressed in a hooded top.
One eyewitness, who saw students Barnaby and Grace being attacked, and who spoke to the BBC, said the man was on foot and attacked two people before walking away.
“Being a hot night, I had the window open and I just heard some awful, blood-curdling screams,” the witness said. “I looked out the window and saw a black guy dressed all in black with a hood and rucksack grappling with some people”.
The attack on the students lasted for “five or six minutes,” the witness claimed. LBC reports that the individual has legally lived in the UK for years.
The attacks have raised public concern over whether it was a terror attack, and counter-terror officers have been deployed to help in raids.
TRIBUTES PAID TO ‘BRIGHT AND BRILLIANT’ VICTIMS
The family of Barnaby Webber, an aspiring cricketer, paid tribute to a “beautiful and bright” young man who had his whole life ahead of him.
“Complete pain and devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son,” the Webber family said.
“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”.
They continued: “At 19 he was just at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man. 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”.
It also emerged that 19-year-old Grace Kumar, who was walking home with her friend when she was attacked and stabbed, was the daughter of GP who had saved the lives of three teenagers who had been stabbed in a gang attack near his surgery in 2009.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar was awarded with an MBE for his heroic actions. Grace and Barnabay were walking home together after a night out to celebrate the end of exams when they came across the hooded knifeman. They were the first victims of the horror attacks, it is claimed.
England Hockey paid tribute to Grace, a bright medical student and talented hockey player who had played in England’s U16 and U18 squads, as well as teams including Southgate Hockey Club in in north London.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Grace Kumar in Nottingham on Tuesday.
“Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and are thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, teammates and the whole hockey community at this time,” they said.
Bancroft’s School in north-east London, where Grace was a student until last year, paid tribute to the teenager, describing her as an “immensely gifted scholar and sportswoman”.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the death in Nottingham under tragic circumstances of one of our recent leavers from 2022, Grace O’Malley Kumar,” it said on a statement posted to its website.
“We are desperately shocked and saddened by Grace’s sudden death in these truly terrible circumstances. She left Bancroft’s only last year and was a hugely important part of our community.
“An immensely gifted and dedicated scholar and sportswoman, she was hugely loved and greatly respected and admired by all. She was outstanding in every respect and will be missed terribly.
“It will take everyone in the Bancroft’s community a considerable time to come to terms with this shocking news, but above all our thoughts are with Grace’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
The third victim was named as Ian Coates, a “beloved” school caretaker aged in his sixties. He was also found fatally stabbed in the early hours of Tuesday.
It is understood Mr Coates was on his way to work when he was flagged down and assaulted by his murderer. He was dragged out of his van and left lying on the pavement in his own blood before the suspect drove away in his van to continue his cold-blooded rampage, ploughing into pedestrians. While one of the injured is in a critical condition, the other two escaped with minor injuries.
Huntingdon Academy, the school where Mr Coates worked, remembered Mr Coates as a “beloved and respected member” of staff who always went the “extra mile” for students.
Headteacher Ross Middleton paid tribute to Mr Coates, saying:
“Ian was a much-loved colleague who always went the extra mile for the benefit of our children and will be greatly missed.
“As a school community, it will take time to process this deeply upsetting news. We wish to extend our sympathy and condolences to all those affected by yesterday’s tragic events.”
In a Twitter post, Mr Coates’ brother said he was “absolutelty numb” following his death, tweeting: “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.”In a separate post, Mr Coates’ son asked for the family to be given privacy.
‘SUSPECT TRIED TO ENTER HOMELESS HOSTEL’
The Telegraph understands that the suspect tried to enter a homeless hostel during his rampage by climbing into one of the bedrooms. A man sleeping in the bedroom at Seely Hirst House managed to block his path after the attacker attempted to climb through a ground floor window, shortly after attacking Grace and Barnaby.
After he tried a second time and was blocked from getting inside, he subsequently left the building. The Telegraph reports that it was once he was outside that he managed to stop Mr Coates, attack him, and steal his veichle, leaving him dying on the ground.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people, including many students, attended a vigil at St Peter’s Church in the city to pay their respects and pray for the University of Nottingham students and Mr Coates. Another vigil will take place on Thursday evening at 5:30pm, Nottingham City Coucil has said. Residents have been encouraged to light candles in their windows as the city unites in mourning for the victims of the deadly attacks.