Teammates of two young sports stars stabbed to death in Nottingham embraced and broke down in tears as they gathered at a mass vigil on Wednesday night.
Talented cricketer Barnaby Webber and England under-18 hockey player Grace Kumar, both 19, were killed during a violent spree in the early hours of Tuesday that has rocked the country, and also left primary school caretaker Ian Coates dead.
Dressed in sports strips, grieving teammates of the teenagers - both University of Nottingham students - gathered at a vigil attended by thousands on Wednesday night to lay flowers and remember them.
Mr Webber and Ms Kumar, who was from north-east London, were walking home from a night out in Nottingham just after 4am on Tuesday, when they were stabbed to death.
After they were found unresponsive in Ilkeston Road, Mr Coates was found fatally knifed in Magdala Road before the suspect is believed to have stolen his van and driven at pedestrians in Milton Street, leaving three more people were hurt, one critically.
A 31-year-old man was tasered and arrested on suspicion of murder.
At Wednesday’s vigil the students’ two fathers - strangers united by their grief - paid tribute to their children.
Joining crowds on the University of Nottingham’s main campus, Mr Webber’s father David told those gathered that “his heart will be with you guys forever” while Ms Kumar’s father Sanjoy told students to look after each other.
Holding back tears, Mr Webber said: “I cannot comprehend how I am going to deal with it. Myself and Emma and Charlie and his family and friends … I know Barny would be super touched by everyone that’s here.”
Speaking with Mr Webber’s hand on his shoulder, Mr Kumar said: “The love we have out here, I wish we had it everywhere. Look after each other.”
Medical student Miss Kumar, from London, has been remembered by her family as a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady” who was a “best friend” to her brother James.
“Grace was an adored daughter and sister” said her family, in a statement reported by the BBC and MailOnline. “Words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed.
“We were so incredibly proud of Grace’s achievements and what a truly lovely person she was. She was resilient and wise beyond her years.”
Mr Webber’s family paid tribute to him as “a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to”.
“Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son,” said his family, from Taunton in Somerset.
They described him as 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.”
Tributes to all three victims have flooded in since their death.
Mr Coates’ sons left tributes at the scene of his death on Wednesday, telling reporters he was “a die-hard Forest fan” and a keen fisherman who took young people from deprived backgrounds fishing to try to divert them from crime.
Lee Coates said the death of his father, who was four months from retirement, had “rocked everyone’s world”, adding: “If we had to think about it, he’d be lying in a bed with us holding his hand, him dying naturally in 20 to 30 years’ time.”
“Not dying on a street because some guy decided it’s not his day today,” Lee’s brother James added. “He was everyone’s friend, always willing to help.
“Nobody deserves this but he definitely didn’t. None of them did, it’s a tragedy.”
In a statement, Taunton-based Bishops Hull Cricket Club remembered Mr Webber, who was one of its members, as a “dear friend” who was a “key part” of the club.
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan also paid tribute to him, describing him as a “young cricketer gone far too soon”.
A former pupil of Taunton School also posted a tribute in the Old Tauntonians alumni group on Facebook, describing him as a “wonderful young man with much to look forward to”.
Meanwhile Miss Kumar was a popular member of England hockey teams, the sport’s governing body has said.
England Hockey tweeted: “We are all deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Grace Kumar in Nottingham on Tuesday.
“Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and our thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, teammates and the whole hockey community at this time.”
According to reports, the suspect in police custody was a west African migrant who had settled in the UK legally and was known to police.
It is understood the man has a mental health history.
CCTV from a residential care home 100 yards from where Mr Coates was found, appearing to show a man dressed in black attempting to gain access to a bay window, is being examined by detectives.
The footage shows someone inside the building managing to bat the man away before closing the window.
Nottinghamshire Police said the force was not contacted about the attempted break-in and had no calls about the suspect before the first stabbing.
Investigators are continuing to work with counter-terrorism police and maintain an open mind about the motive for the attack.
