Nottingham: Family of teen victim of attacks tell of 'devastation' at 'senseless murder' (2024)

The family of a university student killed in the Nottingham attacks have described their "complete devastation" at the "senseless murder of our son".

Barnaby Webber, 19, was a "beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to", his family added.

Read the latest on this story here: School caretaker named as third victim

Tributes pour in for students - latest updates

In a statement, Mr Webber's parents David and Emma Webber, and younger brother Charlie, said: "Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son.

"Barnaby Philip John Webber was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

"A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team.

"At 19 he was just at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man."

His parents added that they are "enormously proud of everything he achieved" and said his brother is "bereft beyond belief" and asked for privacy as a family.

Mr Webber and fellow university student Grace Kumar were among three people killed in the attacks in the early hours of Tuesday morning, as police continue to question a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Tributes have also been paid to Miss Kumar, 19, who played for England under-18s hockey team and was a "talented" cricketer.

Hockey star and cricketer was 'fiercely competitive' and 'talented'

Woodford Wells Cricket Club, in Essex, described Miss Kumar as a "fiercely competitive, talented and dedicated cricketer".

England Hockey paid tribute to Miss Kumar, saying: "We are all deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Grace Kumar in Nottingham on Tuesday."

They described her as a "popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads" and said their thoughts are with Miss Kumar's family, friends and teammates.

The suspect is also alleged to have killed a third victim - a man in his 50s - stolen his van, and used it to drive into people.

Police declared a major incident after the two students were found dead in the street in Ilkeston Road just after 4am.

Officers were then called to Milton Street, in the city centre, where a driver had tried to run over people in a van - leaving one person in a critical condition and two others with minor injuries.

The man in his 50s who was killed was found dead with knife injuries by a member of the public in nearby Magdala Road.

Video appears to show the suspect on the ground next to the van as officers detained him. Photos of the vehicle show small cracks on the windscreen and apparent damage to the bumper.

Read more:
A timeline of how 'major incident' unfolded
Witness describes 'scream' as van hit two people
What we know about the attack so far

Hours after the attacks, at around 12.30pm on Tuesday, armed police cut off Ilkeston Road - where the students were stabbed, said Sky correspondent Becky Johnson.

She said two young women were put in the back of a marked car after officers appeared to enter a commercial property.

Students turned out at a vigil at St Peter's Church later on Tuesday, with flowers left for the victims.

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan also paid tribute to Mr Webber, describing him as a "young cricketer gone far too soon".

Pair 'stabbed by attacker in black'

A witness told the BBC he saw a man and woman being stabbed on Ilkeston Road at around 4am.

He said he heard "awful, blood-curdling screams" and there was a "black guy dressed all in black with a hood and rucksack grappling with some people".

He said the woman was shouting for help.

"I saw him stab the lad first and then the woman. It was repeated stabbing - four or five times. The lad collapsed in the middle of the road," the witness said.

"The girl stumbled towards a house and didn't move. The next minute she had disappeared down the side of a house, and that's where they found her.

"I'd say it all happened within five or six minutes. The attacker then just walked off up Ilkeston Road towards town, as calm as anything."

The man called police, who arrived in about five minutes, before paramedics tried to revive the pair for 40 minutes.

Victim found in 'pool of blood'

Another witness, who gave her name as Frances, told Sky News she heard a sudden bang and screaming as a white van drove into people in the city centre.

She said she "crossed over the road at Theatre Royal and got around 10 feet down the road when all of a sudden you heard a bang - which sounded like a vehicle hitting a bollard".

"I turned around and then saw the two people on the floor, on the road," she added.

"Someone was screaming, I think a gentleman ran over to help as well."

Petra Gyuricska, 39, said she found the body of the man in his 50s in a "pool of blood" on Magdala Road as she went to work with her husband.

They both live in the area and spotted the body near the tennis club.

"I thought maybe he was homeless, then I saw the blood. I was trying to call the police," she told Sky News.

She said police tried to resuscitate the victim, who had more than one chest wound.