The man detained on suspicion of killing British MP David Ames is a migrant from Somalia. This was announced by British intelligence sources to The Daily Telegraph, reports Focus News.
Police, who previously said the attacker, who was detained at the scene, was 25 years old, have not yet confirmed the information.
On Friday night, Essex County Police spokesman Ben-Julian Harrington told a news conference that the investigation would have to determine whether the attack on the MP was an act of terrorism. The British Counter-Terrorism Unit is involved in the investigation.
At the same time, Harrington stressed that law enforcement officials currently believe that there is no terrorist threat and that the attacker acted alone.
Ames, a British MP from the ruling Conservative Party, was attacked during a meeting with voters at a Methodist church in Lee-on-Sea (Essex, East Anglia). He received several stab wounds and died soon after, despite the help he received from the doctors, who arrived quickly.
Ames was a member of the British Parliament for nearly 40 years, winning his first election in 1983, when the British government was headed by Margaret Thatcher. For his service in the country in 2015 he was awarded a knighthood. Ames was a deeply religious Catholic, which was reflected in his political and social views. He is known to oppose abortion and same-sex marriage.
Attacks on parliamentarians in Britain
The Ames incident is the first assassination of a British MP since 2016, when Labor MP Joe Cox, who was fighting for the UK’s EU membership, was assassinated by far-right supporter Thomas Meir. When Cox met with voters a week before the Brexit referendum, he stabbed the 41-year-old woman several times and then shot her three times with a pistol.
In 2000 and 2010, attempts were made to assassinate Liberal Democrat Nigel Jones and Labor Stephen Tims, respectively. In both cases, the attackers came to MP meetings with voters in their constituencies and used cold steel. Tims received two stab wounds to the abdomen, Jones was severely wounded in the arm by a samurai sword. Both survived and continued to work in parliament. British MPs, including most cabinet ministers, do not have permanent security.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson honored the memory of David Ames during a meeting with voters in his constituency.
“All our hearts are filled with shock and grief over the loss of Sir David Ames, who was killed in a church in his constituency after nearly 40 years of continuous service to the people of Essex County and the whole of the United Kingdom,” Johnson said. He said the deceased was “a wonderful servant of society and a loving friend and colleague” who “believed passionately in the country and its future”.
EXPECT DETAILS IN BLITZ!
“He was one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics”
PM Boris Johnson pays tribute to Sir David Amess, who was killed after being stabbed in his constituency: “We’ve lost today a fine public servant and a much-loved friend & colleague”https://t.co/ItKZ7yxQQo pic.twitter.com/VQ0erq280r
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) October 15, 2021
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