British MP Jo Cox of the Labour Party is in a critical condition after being shot and stabbed in Bristal on Thursday afternoon.
According to reports, the 41-year-old mother of two was campaigning with locals near the town’s library when fight broke out in the street and she stepped in.
Eyewitness said that Cox wresteled with a man who then shot he twice and left her lying bleeding on the pavement “She fell between two cars and I came and saw her bleeding on the floor.”
Another man in his late 40s to early 50s also suffered slight injuries. The MP was airlifted to Leeds General hospital.
The gunman allegedly shouted “Britain First” before walking away. The a 52-year-old male shooter was detained by police.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: “Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her 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,” said Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, on his twitter.
BIRSTALL, England – A British member of parliament was in critical condition after being shot and stabbed in her constituency in northern England on Thursday, British police and media reports said.
Jo Cox, 41, who is a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, was attacked as she prepared to hold a meeting with constituents in Birstall near Leeds.
West Yorkshire Police said a 52-year-old man had been arrested by armed police and that a woman in her 40s had suffered serious injuries. Police did not give any further details of the attack.
“Utterly shocked by the news of the attack on Jo Cox,” Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Twitter. “The thoughts of the whole Labour Party are with her and her family at this time.”
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family.” Additionally he stated that due to the event he has cancelled his campaign stop in Gibraltar.
British lawmakers are currently not in parliament ahead of next week’s referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.
The campaign for Britain to remain in the bloc said it was suspending campaigning for the day and the “Vote Leave” group said it had also suspended activities from its official touring campaign bus.
A man in his late 40s to early 50s nearby also suffered slight injuries, police said. BBC radio reported that Cox had been taken by air ambulance to a nearby hospital.
One eyewitness told Sky News that Cox had intervened in a scuffle between two men, one of whom had pulled a gun from a bag which had then been fired twice.
“I saw people rushing down the road towards the library. I came out with a couple of people from the restaurant … we saw a man wearing a dirty white baseball cap with grey jacket start jostling with somebody,” said Hichem Ben-Abdallah.
“All of a sudden this guy pulls a gun … it looked like a First World War gun or makeshift gun, not the sort of gun you see normally. He fired the first shot then I ran away and then we heard the second shot.”
Cox, a Cambridge University graduate, was an aid worker before becoming Labour lawmaker for Batley and Spen in 2015. Known for her work on women’s issues, she has worked with several charities.
British MP Jo Cox of the Labour Party has died after being shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday afternoon.
According to reports, the 41-year-old mother of two was campaigning with locals near the town’s library when fight broke out in the street and she stepped in.
An eyewitness said that Cox wrestled with a man who then shot her twice and left her lying bleeding on the pavement. “She fell between two cars and I came and saw her bleeding on the floor,” he told the Guardian.
Another man in his late 40s to early 50s also suffered slight injuries. The MP was airlifted to Leeds General hospital where doctors proclaimed her death.
The gunman allegedly shouted “Britain First” before walking away. The 52-year-old male shooter was detained by police.
Following the attack, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: “Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her 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,” said Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, on his twitter.