‘So young and sweet’: Manchester’s victims
IT IS NOW BEYOND DOUBT THAT THE PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER AND OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO A CALLOUS TERRORIST ATTACK — AN ATTACK THAT TARGETED SOME OF THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY WITH COLD CALCULATION. — THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
Georgina Callander could barely contain her emotions. “So excited to see you tomorrow,” she posted on Twitter, 24 hours before the Ariana Grande concert. The 18-yearold was a self-proclaimed “superfan” of the American singer and had met her at a specially arranged event two years previously.
A photograph taken on that occasion shows Georgina, known as Gina to her friends and family, grinning with her arms wrapped around her pop idol.
Like so many other children and teenagers, this was supposed to have been a highlight of their young lives. For Georgina and many others, a suicide bomber would take away their lives all too early.
Georgina, from Hesketh Bank, near Preston, Lancashire, was the first victim named, her death confirmed by messages of condolence posted by her friends and her sixth-form college.
The picture she had posted of herself in 2015, taken at the same venue as Monday night’s atrocity, showed an innocent, happy teenager. Her braces gleamed in the camera’s flash.
Georgina’s parents, Simon, a plasterer, and Lesley, and her brothers Harry and Daniel, were too devastated to speak at the family home.
Georgina’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts showed her with other celebrities including actor Sean Maguire from ABC’s fairy tale drama, Once Upon a Time, who said: “Just met this girl in April. She was so young and sweet. She was killed last night Manchester.”
THE YOUNGEST VICTIM
When the bomb went off, Saffie Rose Roussos, 8, her mother and her older sister were heading out of Manchester Arena, among hundreds of concertgoers scrambling for Ariana Grande souvenirs before reaching the exits.
The Roussoses were separated by the flying shrapnel and stampede of people sprinting away and diving over barricades to escape the carnage, the Metro newspaper reported.
Lisa Roussos and Saffie’s sister, Ashlee Bromwich, both injured by shrapnel, were taken to hospital. But as Monday night turned into Tuesday morning, no one could find Saffie.
Kate Tinsley, whose daughter is best friends with Saffie and attended the same primary school, posted on Facebook that there had been no word about the girl’s whereabouts, according to Metro. “Everybody is worried, the whole village. Everybody is in bits waiting for news, just some news that she’s okay, she’s alive.”
Authorities confirmed Saffie’s death Tuesday morning. She was believed to be the youngest victim of the suicide bomber.
DANCING ENTHUSIAST
John Atkinson, 28, from Radcliffe, Manchester, was also confirmed dead. His friends described him as an “amazing young man” and “true gentleman.”
A page set up by his friends on the Go Fund Me website had raised $3,500 within minutes of the announcement of his death.
“John tragically lost his life last night in the Manchester bomb attack,” the fundraising page said. “John was one in a million and loved by so many.” Tributes were also paid by a local dance troupe for whom he performed competitively. They described him as a “happy gentle person” and a “real pleasure to teach.”
MUSIC-MAD DAUGHTER
The mother of 15-yearold Olivia Campbell said her “music-mad” daughter had spoken of little else than the concert for days.
Olivia was with her close friend Adam Lawler when the pair were caught up in the suicide attack. Adam was taken to hospital, where he was in critical condition with severe blast injuries, but no word had been received from Olivia since she sent a text to her boyfriend half an hour before the explosion.
The lack of any news had left her family “in bits,” said Charlotte Campbell. From her home in Bury, she said Tuesday: "I’ve been up all night ringing and texting people who might know where she is. I’m so exhausted I don’t know what time of day it is. It’s just horrendous.
“It’s so hard the not knowing what’s happened. If I had an answer then at least I’d know the truth.”
Olivia’s family were clinging to the hope that she could be lying unconscious in hospital, or perhaps even wandering around Manchester in a daze. Hardy and Olivia’s grandparents led groups of friends and relatives in a search of the hospitals and even alleyways around the city centre.
TEENAGE SWEETHEARTS
The families of Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry made the overnight dash to Manchester from their homes in South Shields on Tyneside in search for news of the missing couple. They were clinging to hope that Chloe, 17, a dancer, and Liam, 19, a student, were still alive.
Mark and Lisa Rutherford, both 45, left their home at 4:30 a.m. and arrived in Manchester two hours later to await news. Scott Rutherford, Chloe’s brother, said: "It doesn’t feel as though there is anything we can do other than watch the TV news and hope someone gets in touch to tell us they are safe.
"Our mum and dad wanted to go to Manchester and they’ve been taken to the Etihad Stadium where they’re being looked after by the police.
“In all the confusion after the explosion people were being taken to hospital and some will have lost phones or they will have run down batteries; we don’t know what to think, we’re waiting and hoping for good news.”
'WAITING FOR A CALL'
Also the subject of frantic searches were an 18-year-old student and dancer, Courtney Boyle, and her mother’s partner, Philip Tron, 32, from Gateshead. They had travelled to the Manchester Arena to pick up Courtney’s younger sister, Nicole, who had been at the concert. Nicole survived unscathed. Of Boyle and Tron, there was no sign.
Philip Tron’s brother, Michael, said: “The last we heard from them was at 10.30 p.m. last night. They went towards the arena to collect Courtney’s little sister. She managed to get out but there is still no news from them.”
YOUNG FARMER
Nell Jones, a 14-year-old from Goostrey, a village in Cheshire, was also missing. A member of Knutsford Young Farmers, Nell had attended the concert on crutches after suffering a ligament injury.
A post on Knutsford Young Farmers’ Facebook page said: “One of our members and close friend Nell Jones was at the concert last night and sadly is still missing. #PrayForNell.” Denis Oliver, headteacher at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, where Nell is a student, said: “This is an unbelievably difficult time for everyone affected by this terrible incident.”
MISSING PARENTS
Alex Klis, the daughter of 40-year-old Angelika Klis and her husband, Marcin Klis, 42, a taxi driver from York, put out an urgent appeal for her parents.
“Anyone who is in any safe place or hospital in Manchester, if anyone comes across my parents please, please, let me know as they’ve been missing ever since the attack.” She posted online a photograph of the couple taken early yesterday evening.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME
The family of Martyn Hett, 29, who worked in public relations, said they feared the “worst could have happened” just two days before he was about to embark on a trip of a lifetime to the United States. Kathryn Hett, 59, his stepmother, said his phone had been switched off. “He’s got so many friends, he has a huge network. If he was safe he would have made an attempt to get in touch with somebody,” she said.
UNANSWERED PLEAS
Others still missing and unaccounted for Tuesday included Kaia Kopusar, 16, a French student who had attended the concert on her own but was visiting friends in Manchester.
She had posed excitedly for photographs with her friends before she set off. Her parents had contacted all the hospitals and had not found her, according to her friends.
Wendy Fawell, 50, a single mother from Otley, north of Leeds, was last seen in the foyer shortly before the bomb blast. Her daughter, Charlotte, made a desperate appeal to find her.
Kelly Brewster, a claims assessor for the insurance company Aviva, was at the concert but had not been heard from since 10.30 p.m., the time of the blast. Her friend Chantelle Garrity wrote on Facebook: “Thank you to everyone who keeps sharing my post. Kelly Brewster is still missing. Had no contact at all from her since approx 10.30 pm last night! Please keep her picture on you and if anyone sees her please get in touch with me asap!!"
Alison Howe, 44, and Lisa Lees, 43, from Royton, Lancashire, were also missing. Howe’s daughter Sasha posted a message on Facebook asking for help, one of many similar pleas made throughout the day.