Woman died saving her sister and niece
LONDON— Kelly Brewster was an avid concertgoer, a “very smart, funny lady with a heart of gold,” according to her friend Payton Williams, and a hero.
Brewster attended the Ariana Grande show at the Manchester Arena on Monday night with her sister, Claire Booth, 34, and Booth’s 11-yearold daughter, Hollie.
Relatives said Brewster, 32, from Sheffield, died trying to shield them from the blast of the suicide bomber. Hollie’s legs were broken, her mother’s jaw was broken, and both suffered wounds from shrapnel, including embedded bolts in their bodies, the Guardian reported.
At least 22 people were killed at the concert in Manchester in an apparent suicide attack after the event ended. Authorities said at least 59 people were injured. Victims’ names haven’t officially been made public, but four have been identified locally.
The first named fatality in the attack was Georgina “Gina” Callander, an 18-year-old college student studying health and social care.
The day before she died, she responded to a post from Grande, tweeting, “SO EXCITED TO SEE U TOMORROW.”
Callander was a massive Grande fan. She had met the pop singer in 2015 and posted a photo of the two of them on social media.
At the time, she wrote, “I can’t believe this happened.”
Saffie Rose Roussos, an 8-year-old, was among the youngest victims. Pictures of the smiling youngster were featured in many British news outlets.
Saffie is the youngest victim to have been identified. The elementary school student was at the concert with mother Lisa and older sister Ashlee, who are reportedly being treated for shrapnel injuries in separate hospitals.
She was “simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the words,” Chris Upton, the principal of Tarleton Community Primary School, said in a statement.
Saffie was “loved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly,” he said, adding that “Saffie was quiet and unassuming with a creative flair.”
According to the Daily Telegraph, her parents are thought to run a fishand-chip shop. The Manchester Evening News identified another victim, John Atkinson, 26, from Radcliffe, a town in the Manchester area. Friends also paid tribute on a crowdfunding page set up to help with Atkinson’s funeral costs.
Facebook user Nayomie Louize updated her profile picture to one of her and Atkinson and invited people to join her at a gathering on Tuesday evening in honour of her late friend.