Update June 16, 5:30 p.m.: Police have confirmed that Jo Cox died this afternoon after being shot and stabbed in her constituency earlier this afternoon.
A statement released by Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, reads:
" The whole of the Labour Party and Labour family - and indeed the whole country - will be in shock at the horrific murder of Jo Cox today. Jo had a lifelong record of public service and a deep commitment to humanity. She worked both for Oxfam and the anti-slavery charity, the Freedom Fund, before she was elected last year as MP for Batley and Spen – where she was born and grew up.
Jo was dedicated to getting us to live up to our promises to support the developing world and strengthen human rights – and she brought those values and principles with her when she became an MP. Jo died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve. It is a profoundly important cause for us all.
Jo was universally liked at Westminster, not just by her Labour colleagues, but across Parliament. In the coming days, there will be questions to answer about how and why she died. But for now all our thoughts are with Jo’s husband Brendan and their two young children. They will grow up without their mum, but can be immensely proud of what she did, what she achieved and what she stood for.
We send them our deepest condolences. We have lost a much loved colleague, a real talent and a dedicated campaigner for social justice and peace. But they have lost a wife and a mother, and our hearts go out to them. ”
This story was originally published at 4pm, June 16, 2016.
A 41-year-old female Labour MP for Batley and Spen in Yorkshire, Jo Cox, has been stabbed and shot by an attacker in her constituency, according to the BBC. West Yorkshire Police have confirmed the attack and have arrested a 52-year-old man. Eye-witnesses said that Cox was left bleeding on the floor before being rushed to Leeds General Infirmary Hospital.
Cox, who is a mother of two, was holding her weekly surgery in Birstall, which functions as an opportunity for constituents to come and discuss concerns and grievances with their MP face-to face. Cox has held the seat since 2015, and grew up in the nearby town, Batley. Before she ran for Parliament, Cox graduated from Cambridge in 1995, becoming a head of policy for charity, Oxfam, and working as an advisor to Sarah Brown. Her involvement in the Labour party has been dedicated, and both Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Prime Minister David Cameron have tweeted messages of support to Cox's family.
Utterly shocked by the news of the attack on Jo Cox. The thoughts of the whole Labour Party are with her and her family at this time.
— Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn) June 16, 2016
Eye witnesses told the BBC of the horrific events they witnessed. Clarke Rothwell, who runs a nearby cafe, said he saw, "A man stood there in his 50s with a white baseball cap on and a jacket with a gun, an old fashioned looking gun in his hand."
"He shot this lady once and then he shot her again, he fell to the floor, leant over, shot her once more in the face area. Somebody tried to grab him, wrestling with him and then he wielded a knife, like a hunting knife, just started lunging at her with a knife half a dozen times. People were screaming and running from the area."
Police are investigating reports that the suspect shouted “Britain First”, potentially referring to the far-right political party, before the attack. She is currently in a critical condition after being air-lifted to hospital.
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