Tributes paid to victims of Reading stabbing attack
THREE friends have been named as the victims of a suspected terrorist attack in a Reading park.
David Wails was named locally yesterday afternoon, after tributes were paid to Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, originally from Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and history teacher James Furlong, 36.
A friend of the victims told the BBC he knew Mr Wails as a regular at The Blagrave Arms pub in the town.
Michael Main said: “I drank with David probably every day. Every time I was in there, he was in there. We’d have a lot of banter. He was a banter person. He’s the one that hits me the most because I know him more and it’s just sad to know he’s gone so early.”
A heart-shaped floral tribute to the three men could be seen outside the bar on Monday afternoon, alongside candles and a note which read: “The Blagrave Arms management and staff are devastated at the announcement that the three people who died in the Forbury Gardens attack on Saturday were regular customers and very dear friends of ours.
“Our hearts go out to their family and friends, and the other victims of this horrific incident.”
Alongside the names “Dave, James and Joe”, the text said: “We will never forget you. RIP.”
A message among the flowers paid tribute to the three, adding: “Our friends were the kindest, most genuine, and most loveliest people in our community that we had the pleasure in knowing.
“They’ll be forever in our thoughts.”
A friend previously said Mr Ritchie-Bennett and history teacher Mr Furlong were “great supporters” of the LGBT+ community.
“Their loss is a tragedy to so many people,” Martin Cooper, 36, who is chief executive of LGBT+ charity Reading Pride, told the PA news agency.
“They will be sorely missed by myself personally and many in the community.”
Any ideology or motivation behind the attack is still unclear, PA understands.
The 25-year-old suspect is understood to be Khairi Saadallah, a refugee of the civil war in Libya.
Saadallah, was tackled to the ground by an unarmed police officer close to the scene at Forbury Gardens on Saturday evening and arrested on suspicion of murder.
He was later re-arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act, which gives powers to hold him without charge for up to 14 days. Yesterday detectives were granted a warrant of further detention until Saturday. Police have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.
Home Secretary Priti Patel told MPs in the Commons it was “clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing” as she praised emergency responders, including student police officers.
Conservative MP Chris Loder revealed that one of his parliamentary assistants “ran courageously towards danger” to help injured victims.
He said a member of his staff “not only used his own shirt to stem the bleeding of one victim, but continued resuscitation on a second victim until the paramedics arrived”.
He added: “This was indeed a remarkable and extraordinary effort from a young man who has been with us in Parliament for little over four months and whom I am extremely proud to have as part of the West Dorset Parliamentary team as I hope is the whole House.”
A two-minute silence, attended by more than 100 students, was held at the Holt School in Wokingham yesterday morning in memory of Mr Furlong, who pupils said was “always smiling”.
Ella Banbury, 17, said: “He was just a really kind teacher. You would always see him smile – there wouldn’t be a time where you wouldn’t see him smiling.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper reported that Mr Furlong’s friend, Mr Ritchie-Bennett, was 39 years old and had moved to England from the US around 15 years ago.
His brother, Robert Ritchie, a captain in the Philadelphia police force, told the paper: “We used to play together every day. We rode bikes together every day. Our family is heartbroken and beside ourselves. He did not deserve to go out like this.”
Mr Ritchie-Bennett’s father, also called Robert, said: “I absolutely love my son with all of my heart and all of my soul.”
Three people injured in the attack were treated in hospital, and all three had been discharged yesterday.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has promised that the Government “will not hesitate” to act if there are changes that could be made to legislation in the wake of Saturday’s events.
Ms Patel told MPs 25 terrorist plots have been foiled since 2017, adding: “The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy remains one of the most comprehensive approaches to countering terrorism in the world.
“But we have all too often seen the results of poisonous extremist ideology. The terrorist threat that we face is complex, diverse and rapidly changing.
“It is clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing.”