British Parliament Member Stabbed and Shot to Death

Ms. Jo Cox, a Labour Party member of the British House of Commons, who was shot near Leeds, died in the hospital on Thursday afternoon, June 16. According to the Associated Press, the parliament member was attacked multiple times with a knife and shot twice at around 1 PM in the village of Birstall, located 320 kilometers north of London. Local police reported that Ms. Cox died shortly after the attack. A 77-year-old man was also injured in this incident. Based on this report, a 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case, and police stated that this was a 'personal attack' and no other suspects are expected to be pursued. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, reacted by saying that 'the entire Labour Party and the Labour family - and indeed the whole country - are shocked by the horrific murder of Jo Cox today.' David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the UK, who was supposed to make a brief visit to Gibraltar, canceled his trip due to this incident. He described the murder of this parliament member as a 'horrific attack.' Mr. Cameron tweeted: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family.' The Associated Press reports that both opponents and supporters of Britain's exit from the European Union have halted their campaigning activities due to Thursday's incident, just ahead of next week's referendum. Violence against politicians and armed attacks on them are rare in Britain, which is why prominent figures from all political factions are in shock. Campaigning activities for and against the Brexit referendum have peaked in recent days, and it is expected that the gap between the two sides is very narrow. Ms. Cox was among those advocating for the UK to remain in the European Union. The Associated Press notes that it is still unclear whether this attack is related to the discussions surrounding this referendum.