American Was Among Three Killed in Frenzied Stabbing Terror Attack in Britain
‘OUR FAMILY IS HEARTBROKEN’
Reuters / Peter Nicholls
A U.S. citizen was among three people who were killed when a suspected terrorist carried out a frenzied stabbing attack in a British park over the weekend. Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, grew up in Northeast Philadelphia but moved to the U.K. about 15 years ago, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ritchie-Bennett’s father said that his son worked at a pharmaceutical company that has British headquarters in Reading, where Saturday’s attack took place. Ritchie-Bennett’s brother, 7th District Police Capt. Robert Ritchie, said: “I love him. I always have. I always will... 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.” Counterterrorism officers are still questioning suspect Khairi Saadallah, 25. BBC News reports that Saadallah is thought to be a Libyan national and was known to British intelligence ahead of the attack. Another of the victims has been named as 36-year-old James Furlong.