Rising British Labour Party MP Jo Cox was shot and killed

A member of the United Kingdom’s Parliament, Jo Cox, was fatally shot and stabbed on Thursday, in an attack that left another injured.

Cox, who was a member of the Labour Party, was meeting with constituents at a library in Birstall, northern England, when the attack happened. Police have identified a 52-year-old local man named Tommy Mair as the main suspect. They are investigating unconfirmed witness reports that Mair shouted, "Britain first," a possible reference to the far-right political party of that name, as he attacked, the Guardian reports.

Cox’s death comes at a tense time in British politics, one week from the so-called "Brexit" referendum, when the British people will decide whether Britain should leave the European Union. Campaigning on both sides of the referendum debate has temporarily halted in light of Cox’s death. The MP was an adamant supporter of Britain staying in the European Union.

Cox’s death has left the country "in shock and grief," Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement.

"Jo Cox died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve," Corbyn said in the statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron also commented on the tragedy:

Cox was married and a mother of two. Her husband, Brendan Cox, released the following statement on the tragic incident:

Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love. I and Jo's friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo.

Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life that would exhaust most people.

She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.

Jo would have no regrets about her life, she lived every day of it to the full.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple reasons that we can't rely only on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. We can’t do that if we have a paywall.

That’s why we also turn to you, our readers, to help us keep Vox free. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via