British students killed in Nottingham stabbing rampage were celebrating end of exams
The three victims of the Nottingham stabbing rampage were identified on Wednesday, including two students who had recently finished their exams.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Philip John Webber were both 19-year-old students at the University of Nottingham when they were stabbed to death at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
O’Malley-Kumar was studying medicine, while Webber was a history student. A student told The Independent that the pair was headed back from a club after celebrating the end of their exams.
Authorities have arrested a 31-year-old suspect whose name has not been released. The man killed the third victim of the attacks, a 65-year-old man named Ian Coates, over a mile away. Coates was commuting to work before he was carjacked and stabbed.
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The suspect hurt three others in a hit-and-run after stealing Coates’ van. Nottinghamshire Police said on Wednesday that a man who matched the suspect’s appearance attempted to enter a care home, but did not succeed.
Webber, who was from the southwestern town of Taunton, was described as a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man” by his family.
“A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team,” a family statement read. “Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son.”
O’Malley-Kumar, a fellow cricketer, also played field hockey for England youth teams. Her brother and parents said she was a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady” in a statement.
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“Words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed,” the family said. “We were so incredibly proud of Grace’s achievements and what a truly lovely person she was.”
The other deceased victim of the attacks, Ian Coates, was a popular employee at a Nottingham elementary school.
“He used to take underprivileged kids fishing just to get away from crime. You genuinely couldn’t find a nicer guy,” his son Lee Coates said. The grieving son wore a shirt saying “Dad, love you always and forever.”
Police apprehended the suspect with a stun gun. Officials are still working with counterterrorism experts to determine a motive.
According to the BBC, the suspect was a West African who lived legally in Britain and did not have any criminal history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
