NEW YORK (Dagbladet): A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is charged with the murder.
Political veteran Amess, who has been in the British Parliament since 1983, died after being stabbed several times during a meeting with voters in his home district of Essex on Friday. He leaves behind a wife and five children.
The killing shakes Britain and statements of support have poured in from all sides of politics.
The incident comes just five years after another British MP, Jo Cox, was killed.
British top politician dead
– Islamist extremism
The motive for the 25-year-old, who has been arrested for the murder, is not yet completely clear, but the police define the incident as terrorism.
“The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation related to Islamist extremism,” a statement from the police said on Saturday night, according to The Guardian.
At the same time, the police state that they believe the man has acted alone, and no one else is wanted in the case.
Amess held a rally for voters in his constituency in a church when he was attacked Friday morning. Police and ambulance personnel must have arrived at the scene within a few minutes.
New details: – Arrived seconds before
When they arrived, they found Sir David Amess, who had suffered several injuries. It was a difficult incident, but our officers and paramedics worked extremely hard to rescue him. He died tragically on the spot, Essex police chief Ben Julian Harrington told a news conference.
The Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Priti Patel, immediately ordered a review of the security of the country’s elected representatives.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl visited Kongsberg. Video: Magnus Paus / Dagbladet TV.
view more
–
– The Minister of the Interior has asked all police forces to review the security arrangements for members of parliament with immediate effect, it is stated in a statement.
– Deeply shocked
Memorials, statements of support and condolences are now pouring in from all over the political landscape. Amess was a backbencher throughout his 38 years in parliament, and many now emphasize some of the issues he fought for in particular – including animal rights and better treatment for endometriosis.
– I’m deeply shocked. More than anything else, he was one of the kindest, nicest and most gentle people in politics. He also has a unique record of passing laws that help the most vulnerable, says Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a TV interview.
NRK profile rages against homicide coverage
– This is a dark and shocking day. The whole country will feel acute, perhaps even more so because we have been heartbreaking enough here before, says the leader of the British Labor Party, Keir Starmer in a statement.
The two former prime ministers Theresa May and Tony Blair are also shocked.
– Shocked and terrified
– It is heartbreaking to hear that Sir David Amess is dead. A decent man and a well-respected MP killed in his own local environment while performing his public duties. A tragic day for democracy. My thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family, May writes Twitter.
Yousef (33) hung out as a killer
– I’m shocked and horrified by the murder of David Amess. My deepest sympathies and condolences go to his wife Julia and the whole family. David and I entered Parliament together in 1983. Although we belonged to opposite sides of politics, he was always polite, proper and a really well-liked colleague who was respected throughout Parliament. It is a terrible and sad day for our democracy, Blair writes Twitter.
Just before the Brexit vote in 2016, the British Labor politician, Jo Cox, was killed just before she was to have a similar meeting with her voters. This led to an escalation of security around British politicians.
– So cowardly
After the murder on Friday, tweeted Cox ‘widower, Brendan Cox:
– Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself. There is no excuse, can not be justified. It is as cowardly as it can get, he writes.
In 2010, another MP, Stephen Timms from Labor, was stabbed at a meeting with voters by a student, who is said to have been radicalized, writes The Guardian. In 2000, Andrew Pennington, an adviser to MP Nigel Jones, was killed. It happened when he tried to protect Jones from a man who attacked him with a sword.
–
