British Free-Ranging Terrorists Covering Parliament

"A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody."

"We have recovered a knife from the scene and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident." 

"Senior National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon formally declared the incident as terrorism."

"The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism."

"[Police are] currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing [but] it is believed that [the suspect] acted alone, and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time."

British Police statement

"Attacking our elected representatives is an attack on democracy itself. There is no excuse, no justification. It is as cowardly as it gets."

"This brings everything back. The pain, the loss, but also how much love the public gave us following the loss of Jo [MP Helen Joanne Cox, shot and stabbed to death in Yorkshire, 2016]."

"I hope we can do the same for David now."

Brendan Cox

"This is an incident that will send shock waves across the parliamentary community and the whole country."

"We will need to discuss and examine MPs' security."

Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the British House of Commons

A photograph of Conservative British lawmaker David Amess, who was fatally stabbed, is pictured prior to a service at Saint Peter's Catholic Parish of Eastwood in Leigh-on-Sea in southeast England on October 15, 2021 (Tolga Akmen / AFP)

First elected to Parliament in 1983, British Member of Parliament David Amess, 69, was knighted for his public service in 2015 by Queen Elizabeth in recognition of his years of service to his community. He was stabbed to death by a 25-year-old British national, a Muslim of Somali background who had waited outside the Methodist church where Sir Amess was holding one of his regular meetings with constituents.

The assailant had been waiting outside the church and began stabbing Sir Amess until he was dead. Police quickly arrived on the scene and paramedics attempted to save him, but to no avail. The attacker made no attempt to leave the scene, simply waited there for his arrest which promptly followed. The murderous assault has left British parliamentarians in a state of shock. The much-respected and popular MP dedicated to serving his constituents was hardly someone who might think of impending danger.

He regularly scheduled meetings with voters on the first and third Friday of each month, and was at the Belfairs Methodist church in Leigh-on-Sea Essex, east of London, his constituency. His murder was a terrorist act by an Islamist practising jihad as a dutiful Muslim. Six years earlier, Labour Party MP Joanne Cox was murdered in another terrorist atrocity committed by a Nazi idealogue.

British MP David Amess in parliament in 2015 (video screenshot)

The married father of five was among the longest serving British lawmakers. Another notch in the belt of terrorists of whatever stripe. "Heartbreaking to hear of the death of Sir David Amess. A decent man and respected parliamentarian, killed in his own community while carrying out his public duties. A tragic day for our democracy", wrote former Prime Minister Therese May.

"David was a man who believed passionately in this country and in its future and we have lost today a fine public servant and a much loved friend and colleague."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Conservative MP David Amess with his pugs, Lily and Boat at the Westminster Dog of the Year competition at Victoria Tower Gardens in London on Oct. 10, 2013 (Geoff Caddick/PA via AP)