Jo Cox, the British lawmaker who was murdered Thursday in a shooting and stabbing outside a constituency event, had reportedly been the target of numerous threats in the months prior and authorities had been readying additional security measures for her protection.
Police had planned to increase security at the Parliament member’s constituency surgery in West Yorkshire and houseboat on the River Thames in London after several “harassing messages” over three months, the Daily Telegraph reported Friday, adding that authorities haven’t determined any link between the messages and Thursday’s attack.
The last Parliament member to be killed in office was Ian Gow in 1990, “the last in a string of politicians to die at the hands of Northern Irish terror groups,” the BBC reported.
On Friday morning, mourners including Prime Minister David Cameron, Speaker of the Commons John Bercow and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn laid flowers in tribute to Ms. Cox in Birstall, near the site of the attack.
Parliament has been out since Thursday to allow lawmakers to campaign ahead of Britain’s European Union membership referendum on June 23.
Ms. Cox, a 41-year-old Labour Party legislator, had pushed for Britain to stay in the EU. A witness said her killer shouted “Britain first” or “put Britain first,” The Associated Press reported.
Britain First, a far-right group, denied any involvement in the killing, AP reported.
Parliament will reconvene Monday in a special session to honor Ms. Cox, who is survived by her husband and two young children.
“We will recall parliament on Monday so we can pay due tribute to her on behalf of every body in this country who values democracy, values the right of free speech, values the right of political expression, free from the kind of brutality that Jo suffered,” Mr. Corbyn said, British television network ITV reported.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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